Chirally motivated K^- nuclear potentials

TL;DR

This paper uses chirally motivated models to calculate K^- nuclear potentials, finding they are significantly deeper than previous threshold-based estimates, and explores implications for K^- nuclear quasibound states.

Contribution

It provides a self-consistent approach to determine K^- nuclear potentials using chiral models and incorporates phenomenological effects, revealing much deeper potentials than earlier models.

Findings

Deeper K^- nuclear potentials than threshold-based models.

Inclusion of phenomenological KbarNN effects leads to very deep potentials.

Discussion of self-consistent calculations of K^- quasibound states.

Abstract

In-medium subthreshold KbarN scattering amplitudes calculated within a chirally motivated meson-baryon coupled-channel model are used self consistently to confront K^- atom data across the periodic table. Substantially deeper K^- nuclear potentials are obtained compared to the shallow potentials derived in some approaches from threshold amplitudes, with Re V_{chiral} = -(85+/-5) MeV at nuclear matter density. When KbarNN contributions are incorporated phenomenologically, a very deep K^- nuclear potential results, Re V_{chiral+phen.} = -(180+/-5) MeV, in agreement with density dependent potentials obtained in purely phenomenological fits to the data. Self consistent dynamical calculations of K^- nuclear quasibound states are reported and discussed.