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We investigate the role of the softening of the scalar-isoscalar (sigma)meson in the $\eta\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$ and $3\pi^0$ decay widths in thesymmetric nuclear medium using a linear sigma model. Our calculation shows thatthese decay widths in the nuclear medium increase by up to a factor of four toten compared with those in the free space mainly depending on the mass of thesigma meson in the free space, which is an input parameter of the model. Theenhancements are considerable even at a half of the normal nuclear density.Thus, the $\eta$ decay into $3\pi$ could be a possible new probe for the chiralrestoration in the nuclear medium. We find that the density dependence of the$\eta\rightarrow3\pi^0$ decay is moderate in comparison with that of$\eta\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$, although the former width is greater than thelatter one at a given density. This is because the softening of the sigma mesoncauses cancellation of the terms appearing from the Bose symmetry in the$\eta\rightarrow3\pi^0$ decay. The difference between the density dependencesshould be helpful for experimental confirmation of the findings of the presentstudy.

Possible relevance of the softening of the sigma meson to $\eta$ decay into 3$\pi$ in the nuclear medium