  Dilepton production in proton- and nucleus-induced reactions is studied in
relativistic transport model using initial conditions determined by the string
dynamics from RQMD. It is found that both the CERES and HELIOS-3 data for
dilepton spectra in proton-nucleus reactions can be well described by the
`conventional' mechanism of Dalitz decay and direct vector meson decay.
However, to provide a quantitative explanation of the observed dilepton spectra
in central S+Au and S+W collisions requires contributions other than these
direct decays. Introducing a decrease of vector meson masses in hot and dense
medium, we find that these heavy-ion data can also be satisfactorily explained.
This agrees with our earlier conclusions based on a fire cylinder model. We
also give predictions for Pb+Au collisions at 160 GeV/nucleon using current
CERES mass resolution and acceptance.
