Production of doubly strange hypernuclei via {\Xi}- doorways in the 16O(K-, K+) reaction at 1.8 GeV/c

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the production of doubly strange hypernuclei via 16O(K-, K+) reactions at 1.8 GeV/c, revealing cross sections, state populations, and sensitivity to hyperon-nucleon interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model for hypernuclei production via {\Xi}-doorways, estimating cross sections and state populations in the 16O(K-, K+) reaction at high momentum transfer.

Findings

Cross sections are estimated at 7-12 nb/sr for excited states.

High {\Xi}-admixture probabilities of 5-9% for certain states.

Populations of ground and low-lying states are very small.

Abstract

We examine theoretically production of doubly strange hypernuclei, 16 {\Xi}-C and 16 {\Lambda}{\Lambda}C, in doublecharge exchange 16O(K-, K+) reactions using a distorted-wave impulse approximation. The inclusive K+ spectrum at the incident momentum pK- = 1.8 GeV/c and scattering angle {\theta}lab = 0^{\circ} is estimated in a one-step mechanism, K-p \to K+{\Xi}- via {\Xi}- doorways caused by a {\Xi}-p-{\Lambda}{\Lambda} coupling. The calculated spectrum in the {\Xi}- bound region indicates that the integrated cross sections are on the order of 7-12 nb/sr for significant 1- excited states with 14C(0+, 2+) \otimes s{\Lambda}p{\Lambda} configurations in 16 {\Lambda}{\Lambda}C via the doorway states of the spin-stretched 15N(1/2-, 3/2-) \otimes s{\Xi}- in 16 {\Xi}-C due to a high momentum transfer q{\Xi}- \approx 400 MeV/c. The {\Xi}- admixture probabilities of these states are on the order of 5-9%. However, populations of the 0+ ground state with 14C(0+) \otimes s2{\Lambda} and the 2+ excited state with 14C(2+) \otimes s2 {\Lambda} are very small. The sensitivity of the spectrum on the {\Xi}N-{\Lambda}{\Lambda} coupling strength enables us to extract the nature of {\Xi}N-{\Lambda}{\Lambda} dynamics in nuclei, and the nuclear (K-, K+) reaction can extend our knowledge of the S = -2 world.