Hypernuclear Physics at PANDA

TL;DR

The paper discusses the development of hypernuclear research capabilities at the PANDA experiment, including detector design, simulation predictions, and methods for identifying hypernuclei via decay correlations.

Contribution

It introduces new detector technologies and simulation techniques for hypernuclear physics at PANDA, enabling high-precision spectroscopy of double strange systems.

Findings

First HPGe crystal with electromechanical cooling system

Prototype silicon strip detector studied for secondary target

Monte Carlo simulations predict hypernuclei yield and decay correlation methods

Abstract

Hypernuclear research will be one of the main topics addressed by the PANDA experiment at the planned Facility for Anti-proton and Ion Research FAIR at Darmstadt, Germany. A copious production of Xi-hyperons at a dedicated internal target in the stored anti-proton beam is expected, which will enable the high-precision gamma-spectroscopy of double strange systems for the first time. In addition to the general purpose PANDA setup, the hypernuclear experiments require an active secondary target of silicon layers and absorber material as well as high purity germanium (HPGe) crystals as gamma-detectors. The design of the setup and the development of these detectors is progressing: a first HPGe crystal with a new electromechanical cooling system was prepared and the properties of a silicon strip detector as a prototype to be used in the secondary target were studied. Simultaneously to the hardware projects, detailed Monte Carlo simulations were performed to predict the yield of particle stable hypernuclei. With the help of the Monte Carlo a procedure for Lambda-Lambda-hypernuclei identification by the detection and correlation of the weak decay pions was developed.