Considerations on measuring spin-spin correlation of hyeprons in heavy-ion experiments

TL;DR

This paper discusses how to measure spin-spin correlations of hyperons in heavy-ion experiments, linking experimental observables with theoretical predictions to understand the origin of spin alignment phenomena.

Contribution

It proposes new experimental observables for measuring hyperon spin correlations and connects them with existing theoretical frameworks.

Findings

Constructed experimental observables for hyperon spin correlation measurement

Linked observables with theoretical quantities to interpret spin alignment

Provided a framework for analyzing spin correlations in heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

The significant global spin alignment observed for $\phi$ mesons in heavy-ion collisions has sparked intense discussions about its origin and implications. One explanation suggests that fluctuations in the strong force field may introduce strong spin correlations between strange ($s$) and anti-strange ($\bar{s}$) quarks, leading to the global spin alignment of $\phi$ mesons. Extending this line of research, the theoretical community has proposed studying the spin correlation between $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons. In this paper, we construct experimental observables and make connections between them and the theoretical proposed quantities.