The general features of electron-positron emission from high temperature nuclear matter are discussed. Estimates are made of the production rates arising from incoherent nucleon-nucleon scattering and from two-pion annihilation. It may be possible to infer the pion dispersion relation in hot and dense nuclear matter by measuring the invariant mass distribution of back-to-back electrons and positrons in the center of mass frame in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions.

• Received 9 February 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.35.2107