Super strong nuclear force caused by migrating Kbar mesons - Revival of the Heitler-London-Heisenberg scheme in kaonic nuclear clusters

TL;DR

This paper investigates the structure of K-pp nuclear systems, revealing a molecular-like covalent bonding mechanism driven by migrating Kbar mesons, leading to super-strong nuclear forces distinct from traditional pion-mediated interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel molecular picture of kaonic nuclear clusters based on migrating Kbar mesons, reviving the Heitler-London-Heisenberg scheme in nuclear physics.

Findings

K-pp exhibits a molecular structure with covalent bonding.

Super-strong nuclear forces arise from migrating Kbar mesons.

The elementary process p + p --> K+ + Lambda* + p facilitates formation of compact K-pp states.

Abstract

We have studied the structure of K- pp comprehensively by solving this three-body system in a variational method, starting from the Ansatz that the Lambda(1405) resonance (~ Lambda*) is a K-p bound state. The structure of K-pp reveals a molecular feature, namely, the K- in Lambda* as an "atomic center" plays a key role in producing strong covalent bonding with the other proton. We point out that strongly bound Kbar nuclear systems are formed by ``super strong" nuclear force due to migrating real bosonic particles Kbar a la Heitler-London-Heisenberg, whereas the normal nuclear force is caused by mediating virtual pions. We have shown that the elementary process, p + p --> K+ + Lambda* + p, which occurs in a short impact parameter and with a large momentum transfer, leads to unusually large self-trapping of Lambda* by the involved proton, since the Lambda*-p system exists as a compact doorway state propagating to K-pp.