An upper limit on hypertriton production in collisions of Ar(1.76 AGeV)+KCl

TL;DR

This study uses high-statistics data from Ar(1.76 AGeV)+KCl collisions to set an upper limit on hypertriton production, providing constraints for theoretical models of hypernucleus formation.

Contribution

It establishes the first upper limit on hypertriton production in these collisions and compares it with model predictions.

Findings

Upper limit on hypertriton production per event: 1.04 x 10^{-3} at 3σ level.

Derived upper limit on hypertriton to Lambda ratio: N_{Λ}^3H / N_{Λ}.

Results constrain coalescence and statistical models of hypernucleus formation.

Abstract

A high-statistic data sample of Ar(1.76 AGeV)+KCl events recorded with HADES is used to search for a hypertriton signal. An upper production limit per centrality-triggered event of $1.04$ x $10^{-3}$ on the $3\sigma$ level is derived. Comparing this value with the number of successfully reconstructed $\Lambda$ hyperons allows to determine an upper limit on the ratio $N_{_{\Lambda}^3H}/N_{\Lambda}$, which is confronted with statistical and coalescence-type model calculations.