# Testing production scenarios for (anti-)(hyper-)nuclei with multiplicity-dependent measurements at the LHC

## TL;DR

This paper investigates the production mechanisms of anti- and hyper-nuclei in high-energy collisions at the LHC by proposing multiplicity-dependent measurements to distinguish between coalescence and thermal models, especially for extended wave-function hyper-nuclei.

## Contribution

It introduces a systematic approach to differentiate production models of light nuclei using multiplicity-dependent measurements and compares model predictions with ALICE data.

## Key findings

- Large differences in production predictions for hyper-nuclei with extended wave-functions.
- Model predictions vary significantly between coalescence and thermal models for hyper-triton.
- Future measurements with upgraded detectors can clarify production mechanisms.

## Abstract

The production of light anti- and hyper-nuclei provides unique observables to characterise the system created in high energy proton-proton (pp), proton-nucleus (pA) and nucleus-nucleus (AA) collisions. In particular, nuclei and hyper-nuclei are special objects with respect to non-composite hadrons (such as pions, kaons, protons, etc.), because their size is comparable to a fraction or the whole system created in the collision. Their formation is typically described within the framework of coalescence and thermal-statistical production models. In order to distinguish between the two production scenarios, we propose to measure the coalescence parameter B$_{A}$ for different anti- and hyper-nuclei (that differ by mass, size and internal wave-function) as a function of the size of the particle emitting source. The latter can be controlled by performing systematic measurements of light (anti-)(hyper-)nuclei in different collision systems (pp, pA, AA) and as a function of the multiplicity of particles created in the collision. While it is often argued that the coalescence and the thermal model approach give very similar predictions for the production of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions, our study shows that large differences can be expected for hyper-nuclei with extended wave-functions, as the hyper-triton. We compare the model predictions with data from the ALICE experiment and we discuss perspectives for future measurements with the upgraded detectors during the High-Luminosity LHC phase in the next decade.