The mass and spectral function of scalar and pseudoscalar mesons in a hot and chirally imbalanced medium using the two-flavor NJL model

Abstract: We explore the properties of neutral mesons within the context of a chirally imbalanced medium, employing the two-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. The temperature dependence of the constituent quark mass at finite values of the chiral chemical potential (CCP) demonstrates the well-established phenomena of chiral catalysis at lower temperatures and inverse chiral catalysis at higher temperatures. The polarization functions in both the scalar ($\sigma$) and pseudo-scalar ($\pi^0$) channels have been evaluated using real time formalism of thermal field theory. These have been used to determine the masses and spectral functions of $ \sigma $ and $ \pi $ mesons. Detailed investigation of the analytic structure of the imaginary part of the polarization function for $\sigma$ and $\pi$ mesons results in the emergence of non-trivial Landau cut contributions due to the presence of chiral imbalance. The multiple solutions for the mass of the $\pi$ meson for specific values of CCP have been analysed on the basis of their residue at the pole. Furthermore, we have observed abrupt changes in the masses of both scalar and pseudo-scalar mesons at finite CCP values, particularly at higher temperatures. A decreasing trend in the Mott transition temperature is seen with the increase in CCP.