Medium effects in proton-induced $K^{0}$ production at 3.5 GeV

TL;DR

This study analyzes inclusive $K^{0}$ production in proton-proton and proton-niobium collisions at 3.5 GeV, revealing evidence for a repulsive in-medium kaon potential consistent with Chiral Perturbation Theory predictions.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed comparison of experimental data with the GiBUU model including a tuned kaon production cross section and in-medium potential effects.

Findings

Evidence for a repulsive kaon potential of about 35 MeV at normal nuclear density.

Successful tuning of the GiBUU model to reproduce p+p collision data.

Sensitivity analysis of in-medium kaon potential effects in p+Nb collisions.

Abstract

We present the analysis of the inclusive $K^{0}$ production in p+p and p+Nb collisions measured with the HADES detector at a beam kinetic energy of 3.5 GeV. Data are compared to the GiBUU transport model. The data suggest the presence of a repulsive momentum-dependent kaon potential as predicted by the Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT). For the kaon at rest and at normal nuclear density, the ChPT potential amounts to $\approx 35$ MeV. A detailed tuning of the kaon production cross sections implemented in the model has been carried out to reproduce the experimental data measured in p+p collisions. The uncertainties in the parameters of the model were examined with respect to the sensitivity of the experimental results from p+Nb collisions to the in-medium kaon potential.