ΛΛ Correlation function in Au+Au collisions at √[S(NN)]=200 GeV

Precise Measurement of Differential Cross Sections of the Σ^{-}p→Λn Reaction in Momentum Range 470-650 MeV/c

The differential cross sections of the Σ^{-}p→Λn reaction were measured accurately for the Σ^{-} momentum (p_{Σ}) ranging from 470 to 650  MeV/c at the J-PARC Hadron Experimental Facility. Precise angular information about the Σ^{-}p→Λn reaction was obtained for the first time by detecting approximately 100 reaction events at each angular step of Δcosθ=0.1. The obtained differential cross sections show a slightly forward-peaking structure in the measured momentum regions. The cross sections integrated for -0.7≤cosθ≤1.0 were obtained as 22.5±0.68 [statistical error(stat.)] ±0.65 [systematic error(syst.)] mb and 15.8±0.83(stat)±0.52(syst)  mb for 470<p_{Σ}(MeV/c)<550 and 550<p_{Σ}(MeV/c)<650, respectively. These results show a drastic improvement compared with past measurements of the hyperon-proton scattering experiments. They will play essential roles in updating the theoretical models of the baryon-baryon interactions.

Baryonic effective field theory for light hypernuclei

Light hypernuclei containing one or two Λ baryons are the subject of an ongoing experimental campaign aiming to study the spectrum of these systems, as well as the 2 and 3-body interaction between Λ hyperons and nucleons. Here we shortly review the theoretical study of these systems within the framework of baryonic effective field theory.

Weakly Bound H Dibaryon from SU(3)-Flavor-Symmetric QCD

We present the first study of baryon-baryon interactions in the continuum limit of lattice QCD, finding unexpectedly large lattice artifacts. Specifically, we determine the binding energy of the H dibaryon at a single quark-mass point. The calculation is performed at six values of the lattice spacing a, using O(a)-improved Wilson fermions at the SU(3)-symmetric point with m_{π}=m_{K}≈420  MeV. Energy levels are extracted by applying a variational method to correlation matrices of bilocal two-baryon interpolating operators computed using the distillation technique. Our analysis employs Lüscher's finite-volume quantization condition to determine the scattering phase shifts from the spectrum and vice versa, both above and below the two-baryon threshold. We perform global fits to the lattice spectra using parametrizations of the phase shift, supplemented by terms describing discretization effects, then extrapolate the lattice spacing to zero. The phase shift and the binding energy determined from it are found to be strongly affected by lattice artifacts. Our estimate of the binding energy in the continuum limit of three-flavor QCD is B_{H}^{SU(3)_{f}}=4.56±1.13_{stat}±0.63_{syst}  MeV.

Unveiling the strong interaction among hadrons at the LHC

One of the key challenges for nuclear physics today is to understand from first principles the effective interaction between hadrons with different quark content. First successes have been achieved using techniques that solve the dynamics of quarks and gluons on discrete space-time lattices^1,2. Experimentally, the dynamics of the strong interaction have been studied by scattering hadrons off each other. Such scattering experiments are difficult or impossible for unstable hadrons^3-6 and so high-quality measurements exist only for hadrons containing up and down quarks⁷. Here we demonstrate that measuring correlations in the momentum space between hadron pairs^8-12 produced in ultrarelativistic proton-proton collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provides a precise method with which to obtain the missing information on the interaction dynamics between any pair of unstable hadrons. Specifically, we discuss the case of the interaction of baryons containing strange quarks (hyperons). We demonstrate how, using precision measurements of proton-omega baryon correlations, the effect of the strong interaction for this hadron-hadron pair can be studied with precision similar to, and compared with, predictions from lattice calculations^13,14. The large number of hyperons identified in proton-proton collisions at the LHC, together with accurate modelling¹⁵ of the small (approximately one femtometre) inter-particle distance and exact predictions for the correlation functions, enables a detailed determination of the short-range part of the nucleon-hyperon interaction.

K^{-}p Correlation Function from High-Energy Nuclear Collisions and Chiral SU(3) Dynamics

The two-particle momentum correlation function of a K^{-}p pair from high-energy nuclear collisions is evaluated in the K[over ¯]N-πΣ-πΛ coupled-channel framework. The effects of all coupled channels together with the Coulomb potential and the threshold energy difference between K^{-}p and K[over ¯]^{0}n are treated completely for the first time. Realistic potentials based on the chiral SU(3) dynamics are used which fit the available scattering data. The recently measured correlation function is found to be well reproduced by allowing variations of the source size and the relative weight of the source function of πΣ with respect to that of K[over ¯]N. The predicted K^{-}p correlation function from larger systems indicates that the investigation of its source size dependence is useful in providing further constraints in the study of the K[over ¯]N interaction.

Possible Lightest Ξ Hypernucleus with Modern ΞN Interactions

Experimental evidence exists that the Ξ-nucleus interaction is attractive. We search for NNΞ and NNNΞ bound systems on the basis of the AV8 NN potential combined with either a phenomenological Nijmegen ΞN potential or a first principles HAL QCD ΞN potential. The binding energies of the three-body and four-body systems (below the d+Ξ and ^{3}H/^{3}He+Ξ thresholds, respectively) are calculated by a high precision variational approach, the Gaussian expansion method. Although the two ΞN potentials have significantly different isospin (T) and spin (S) dependence, the NNNΞ system with quantum numbers (T=0, J^{π}=1^{+}) appears to be bound (one deep for Nijmegen and one shallow for HAL QCD) below the ^{3}H/^{3}He+Ξ threshold. Experimental implications for such a state are discussed.

First Observation of an Attractive Interaction between a Proton and a Cascade Baryon

This Letter presents the first experimental observation of the attractive strong interaction between a proton and a multistrange baryon (hyperon) Ξ^{-}. The result is extracted from two-particle correlations of combined p-Ξ^{-}⊕p[over ¯]-Ξ[over ¯]^{+} pairs measured in p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV at the LHC with ALICE. The measured correlation function is compared with the prediction obtained assuming only an attractive Coulomb interaction and a standard deviation in the range [3.6, 5.3] is found. Since the measured p-Ξ^{-}⊕p[over ¯]-Ξ[over ¯]^{+} correlation is significantly enhanced with respect to the Coulomb prediction, the presence of an additional, strong, attractive interaction is evident. The data are compatible with recent lattice calculations by the HAL-QCD Collaboration, with a standard deviation in the range [1.8, 3.7]. The lattice potential predicts a shallow repulsive Ξ^{-} interaction within pure neutron matter and this implies stiffer equations of state for neutron-rich matter including hyperons. Implications of the strong interaction for the modeling of neutron stars are discussed.

Lattice QCD studies on baryon interactions in the strangeness -2 sector with physical quark masses

We investigate baryon-baryon (BB) interactions in the strangeness S = −2 sector via the coupled-channel HAL QCD method which enables us to extract the scattering observables from Nambu-Bethe-Salpeter (NBS) wave function on the lattice. The simulations are performed with (almost) physical quark masses (mπ = 146MeV) and a huge lattice volume of La = 8.1fm. We discuss the fate of H-dibaryon state through the ΛΛ and NΞ coupled-channel scatterings

Open Questions in the Understanding of Strangeness Production in HIC – Experiment Perspective

Open questions concerning strangeness production in heavy-ion collisions are discussed with a focus on the experimental aspects. The open points are presented in the context of recent measurements.

Theoretical perspective on strangeness production

A brief review of some highlights and puzzles on strangeness production in heavy ion collisions is given. These include strangeness production and the nuclear equation of state; deeply subthreshold strangeness production; mean-field potentials on strange hadrons; phi meson in dense matter; anomalous strange hadron to pion ratios; density fluctuations on particle production; A hyperon polarization and the vorticity field, and exotic hadrons.