Self-consistent quantum effects in the quark meson coupling model

Abstract

We derive the equation of state of nuclear matter including vacuum polarization effects arising from the nucleons and the sigma mesons in the quark-meson coupling model which incorporates explicitly quark degrees of freedom with quark coupled to the scalar and vector mesons. This leads to a softer equation of state for nuclear matter giving a lower value of incompressibility than would be reached without quantum effects. The {\it in-medium} nucleon and sigma meson masses are also calculated in a self-consistent manner.

10 pages, latex, 5 figures