Extraction of Polarization Parameters in the $\mathrm{\bar{p} p} \rightarrow \bar{\Omega} \Omega$ Reaction

TL;DR

This paper presents a method to extract polarization parameters of $ar{ ext{p}}$p to $ar{ ext{Ω}}$Ω reactions, enabling detailed analysis of hyperon polarization and decay asymmetries, applicable to future experiments like PANDA.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel approach to determine hyperon polarization parameters from decay distributions, applicable to any weakly decaying hyperon, advancing strangeness production studies.

Findings

Method successfully extracts polarization parameters from angular distributions.

Full decay chain analysis yields asymmetry parameters $eta_ ext{Ω}$ and $\gamma_ ext{Ω}$.

Applicable to hyperon-antihyperon pairs in proton-antiproton collisions.

Abstract

A method to extract the polarization of $\Omega$ hyperons produced via the strong interaction is presented. Assuming they are spin 3/2 particles, the corresponding spin density matrix can be written in terms of seven non-zero polarization parameters, all retrievable from the angular distribution of the decay products. Moreover by considering the full decay chain $\Omega\rightarrow \Lambda K\rightarrow p\pi K$ the magnitude of the asymmetry parameters $\beta_\Omega$ and $\gamma_\Omega$ can be obtained. This method, applied here to the specific $\Omega$ case, can be generalized to any weakly decaying hyperon and is perfectly suited for the PANDA experiment where hyperon-antihyperon pairs will be copiously produced in proton-antiproton collisions. The aim is to take a step forward towards the understanding of the mechanism that reigns strangeness production in these processes.