Anomalous transverse distribution of pions as a signal for the production of disoriented chiral condensates

We give evidence that the production of disoriented chiral condensates during a nonequilibrium phase transition can lead to an anomalous transverse distribution of secondary pions when compared to a more conventional boost invariant hydrodynamic flow in local thermal equilibrium. Our results pertain to the linear σ model, treated in leading order in large N, in a boost invariant approximation. We also show that the interpolating number density of the field theory calculation plays the role of a classical relativistic phase space number distribution in determining the momentum distribution of pions in the center of mass frame. © 1996 The American Physical Society.