We study the quark spectrum at nonzero temperature and density near the critical point (CP) of the chiral phase transition incorporating effects of the scalar- and pseudoscalar-density fluctuations in a chiral effective model with a nonzero current quark mass. It is known that the soft mode associated with the second-order transition at the CP lies in the spacelike region of the scalar-density fluctuation. We find that the soft mode influences the quark spectrum significantly near the CP, resulting in the shift of the quasiquark peak. Effects of the composite stable pions on the quark spectrum near the CP are also discussed.

• Received 12 September 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.116008