Calculation of Screening Masses in a Chiral Quark Model

Abstract

We consider a simple model for the coordinate-space vacuum polarization function which is often parametrized in terms of a screening mass. We discuss the circumstances in which the standard result for the screening mass, $m_{sc}=\pi T$, is obtained. In the model considered here, that result is obtained when the momenta in the relevant vacuum polarization integral are small with respect to the first Matsubara frequency.