QCD sum rules for nucleon two-point function in nuclear medium

Abstract

We derive QCD sum rules from the nucleon two-point function in nuclear medium, calculating its specral function in chiral perturbation theory to one loop. Our calculation shows the inadequacy of the commonly used ansatz to represent the two-point function as the sum of a nucleon pole term and a spectral integral over the high energy continuum. We also point out that it is the energy variable and not its square that must be used in writing the dispersion integrals. The sum rules are obtained by equating terms linear in nucleon number density of the spectral and operator representations of the correlation function. We use them to predict the curent-nucleon coupling, in good agreement with the value known from the vacuum sum rules. They also predict a definite deviation of the four-quark condensate from its ground state saturation value.