Intermediate Mass Dilepton Production in a Chemically Equilibrating Quark-Gluon Matter

Dilepton production during the chemical equilibration of quark-gluon matter with a finite baryon density has been studied. We find that due to the slowing down of the cooling rate and the high initial temperature of the quark-gluon matter produced at RHIC energies, the quark phase contribution to dileptons with intermediate masses is significantly heightened and is much larger than that calculated by the evolution of the thermodynamic equilibrium system. The latter has shown an enhancement of intermediate mass dileptons from the quark phase. Therefore, such an enhancement of dileptons should be a signature for quark-gluon matter formation.