S-wave pion condensation in symmetric nuclear matter

Abstract

S-wave pion-nucleon interactions in the linear sigma model, and in Manohar-Georgi and Gasser-Sainio-Svarc models with finite number of terms in Lagrangians, as well as in a general phenomenological approach are reviewed. Subtleties associated with the current algebra theorems and field redefinitions are discussed. In the first and third models most likely the s-wave pion condensation in the isospin-symmetric matter does not occur at least up to high densities, whereas within the second model it may appear already at moderate densities. In the phenomenological approach two parameterizations of the s-wave pion-nucleon scattering amplitude and the pion polarization operator used in the literature are considered. The first parameterization employs the off-mass-shell amplitude and allows to fulfil the current algebra theorems. Using it the s-wave pion polarization operator in the isospin-symmetric matter is reconstructed within the gas approximation. With this pion polarization operator the s-wave pion condensation in the isospin-symmetric matter does not occur at least up to high densities. Second parameterization uses the on-mass-shell pion-nucleon scattering amplitude and does not satisfy the Adler and Weinberg conditions. With such a parameterization most likely the s-wave pion condensation in the isospin-symmetric matter may occur already at the nucleon density $n\simeq (1.4-2.5) n_0$, where $n_0$ is the density of the atomic nucleus, that should result in observable effects. Both parameterizations allow to successfully describe the pion atom data.