TENSOR COUPLING AND VECTOR-MESONS IN DENSE NUCLEAR-MATTER

The effects of magnetic interaction between vector mesons and nucleons on the propagation (mass and width) of the rho meson, in particular m oving through very dense nuclear matter, is studied and the modificati ons, qualitative and quantitative, due to the relevant collective mode s (zero-sound and plasma frequencies) of the medium discussed. It is s hown that the rho mesons produced in high-energy nuclear collisions wi ll be on the verge of instability in the region of sufficiently dense nuclear matter, in the presence of such an interaction.