  The ground state properties and the thermodynamics of the one-dimensional
SU(4) symmetric spin system with orbital degeneracy are investigated using the
quantum Monte Carlo loop algorithm. The spin-spin correlation functions exhibit
a 4-site periodicity, and their low temperature behavior is controlled by two
correlation lengths that diverge like the inverse temperature, while the
entropy is linear in temperature and its slope is consistent with three gapless
modes of velocity $\pi/2$. The physical implications of these results are
discussed.
