Dileptons as a probe of pion, kaon, nucleon, and antinucleon dynamics in nuclear matter

Abstract

We continue our study of dilepton radiation from high-temperature nuclear matter by computing the rates for the annihilations $K^{+}$ $K^{\mathrm{-}}$→$e^{+}$ $e^{\mathrm{-}}$ and NN¯→$e^{+}$ $e^{\mathrm{-}}$. In general this radiation would yield information on the abundances of kaons and antinucleons in hot and dense nuclear matter. More specifically, the former may yield information on the approach to kaon condensation, and the latter may yield information on the nucleon-antinucleon dispersion relations as predicted by relativistic field theories of nuclear matter. However, these yields are mostly overshadowed by the processes np→${\mathrm{npe}}^{+}$ $e^{\mathrm{-}}$ and ${\pi }^{+}$ ${\pi }^{\mathrm{-}}$→$e^{+}$ $e^{\mathrm{-}}$, so that dilepton production remains essentially a probe of pion dynamics in the nuclear medium.