---
author:
- |
    [**Joseph I. Kapusta**]{}\
    [*School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455*]{}\
    [**Ajit M. Srivastava**]{}\
    [*Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106*]{}
title: |
    [NSF-ITP-94-28\
    NUC-MINN-94/3-T\
    April 1994\
    ]{}

    **THE PROXIMAL CHIRAL\
    PHASE TRANSITION**
---

Abstract\

We consider the form of the chiral symmetry breaking piece of the effective potential in the linear sigma model. Surprisingly, it allows for a second local minimum at both zero and finite temperature. Even though chiral symmetry is not exact, and therefore is not restored in a true phase transition at finite temperature, this second minimum can nevertheless mimic many of the effects of a first order phase transition. We derive a lower limit on the height of the second minimum relative to the global minimum based on cosmological considerations; this limit is so weak as to be practically nonexistent. In high energy nuclear collisions, it may lead to observable effects in Bose-Einstein interferometry due to domain walls and to coherent pion emission.

Introduction
============

The possibility of producing quark-gluon plasma in relativistic heavy ion collisions is an exciting one, especially from the point of view of observing the chiral/confinement phase transition/crossover as the 