Unprecedented studies of the low-energy negatively charged kaons interactions in nuclear matter by AMADEUS

TL;DR

The AMADEUS experiment investigates low-energy negatively charged kaon interactions in nuclear matter to address fundamental questions in strangeness QCD, utilizing the DAΦNE collider and KLOE detector for high-quality data on hyperon and antikaon cluster formation.

Contribution

This study provides unprecedented experimental data on $K^-$ interactions in light nuclei, exploring the nature of $ ext{Lambda}(1405)$ and multi-nucleon absorption processes.

Findings

High-statistics data on $K^-$ nuclear capture at rest in carbon

Insights into hyperon production and multi-nucleon absorption

Preparation for future gaseous target experiments

Abstract

The AMADEUS experiment aims to provide unique quality data of $K^-$ hadronic interactions in light nuclear targets, in order to solve fundamental open questions in the non-perturbative strangeness QCD sector, like the controversial nature of the $\Lambda(1405)$ state, the yield of hyperon formation below threshold, the yield and shape of multi-nucleon $K^-$ absorption, processes which are intimately connected to the possible existence of exotic antikaon multi-nucleon clusters. AMADEUS takes advantage of the DA$\Phi$NE collider, which provides a unique source of monochromatic low-momentum kaons and exploits the KLOE detector as an active target, in order to obtain excellent acceptance and resolution data for $K^-$ nuclear capture on H, ${}^4$He, ${}^{9}$Be and ${}^{12}$C, both at-rest and in-flight. During the second half of 2012 a successful data taking was performed with a dedicated pure carbon target implemented in the central region of KLOE, providing a high statistic sample of pure at-rest $K^-$ nuclear interactions. For the future dedicated setups involving cryogenic gaseous targets are under preparation.