In-medium properties of kaons in a chiral approach

Abstract

The first order self-energy corrections of the kaon in the symmetric nuclear matter are calculated from kaon-nucleon scattering matrix elements using a chiral Lagrangian within the framework of relativistic mean field approximation. It shows that the effective mass and the potential of K^+ meson are identical with those of K^- meson in the nuclear matter, respectively. The effective mass of the kaon in the nuclear matter decreases with the nuclear density increasing, and is not relevant to the kaon-nucleon Sigma term. The kaon-nucleus potential is positive and increases with the nuclear density. Moreover, the influence of the resonance $\Lambda(1405)$ on the $K^-$-nucleus potential due to the re-scattering term is discussed. Our results indicate the K^- meson could not be bound in the nuclei even if the contribution of $\Lambda(1405)$ resonance is considered.