Parametrization of cross sections for elementary hadronic collisions involving strange particles

TL;DR

This paper reviews and updates the elementary cross sections for strange particle production in hadronic collisions, essential for improving reaction models in the 2-15 GeV energy range.

Contribution

It compiles, updates, and compares elementary cross section data for strange particle production, aiding model refinement in the 2-15 GeV energy domain.

Findings

Updated cross section data for strange particle production.

Comparison of different model ingredients for strangeness channels.

Enhanced understanding of reaction mechanisms involving strange particles.

Abstract

The production of strange particles (kaons, hyperons) and hypernuclei in light charged particle induced reactions in the energy range of a few GeV (2-15 GeV) has become a topic of active research in several facilities (e.g., HypHI and PANDA at GSI and/or FAIR (Germany), JLab (USA), and JPARC (Japan)). This energy range represents the low-energy limit of the string models (degree of freedom: quark and gluon) or the high-energy limit of the so-called spallation models (degree of freedom: hadrons). A well known spallation model is INCL, the Li\`ege intranuclear cascade model (combined with a de-excitation model to complete the reaction). INCL, known to give good results up to 2-3 GeV, was recently upgraded by the implementation of multiple pion emission to extend the energy range of applicability up to roughly 15 GeV. The next step, to account also for strange particle production, both for refining the high energy domain and making it usable when strangeness appears, requires the following main ingredients: i) the relevant elementary cross sections (production, scattering, and absorption) and ii) the characteristics of the associated final states. Some of those ingredients are already known and, sometimes, are already used in models of the same type (e.g., Bertini, GiBUU), but this paper aims at reviewing the situation by compiling, updating, and comparing the necessary elementary information which are independent of the model used.