Vector-axialvector mixing from a chiral effective field theory at finite temperature

Abstract

We study the vector-axialvector mixing in a hot medium and its evolution toward the chiral phase transition using different symmetry restoration scenarios based on the generalized hidden local symmetry framework. We show that the presence of the $a_1$ meson reduces the vector spectral function around $rho$ meson mass and enhances it around $a_1$ meson mass. The coupling strength of $a_1$ to $rho$ and $pi$ vanishes at the critical temperature due to the degenerate $rho$-$a_1$ masses. This feature holds rigorously in the chiral limit and still stays intact to good approximation for the physical pion mass.