PATTERNS OF SPONTANEOUS CHIRAL-SYMMETRY BREAKING IN THE LARGE-N-C LIMIT OF QCD-LIKE THEORIES

It is shown that in vector-like gauge theories, such as QCD, and in th e Limit of a large number of colours N-c, the ordering pattern of narr ow vector and axial-vector states at low energies is correlated with t he size of the possible local order parameters of chiral symmetry brea king. This has implications on the underlying dynamics of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in QCD, and also on possible values of the pa rameter S for oblique electroweak corrections, the analogue of the QCD low energy constant L-10. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.