Variation of hadron masses in nuclear matter in the relativistic Hartree approximation

Abstract

We study the modification of hadron masses due to the vacuum polarization using the chiral sigma model, which is extended to generate the $ω$ meson mass by the sigma condensation in the vacuum in the same way as the nucleon mass. The results obtained in the chiral sigma model are compared with those obtained in the Walecka model which includes $σ$ and $ω$ mesons in a non-chiral fashion. It is shown that both the nucleon mass and the $ω$ meson mass decrease in nuclear medium, while the $σ$ meson mass increases at finite density in the chiral sigma model.

10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Nucl.Phys.A