The impact of chirally odd condensates on the rho meson

Abstract: Based on QCD sum rules we explore the consequences of a scenario for the ρ meson, where the chiral symmetry breaking condensates are set to zero whereas the chirally symmetric condensates remain at their vacuum values. This clean-cut scenario causes a lowering of the ρ spectral moment by about 120 MeV. The complementarity of mass shift and broadening is discussed. A simple parametrization of the ρ spectral function leads to a width of about 280 MeV if no shift of the peak position is assumed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]