The influence of nuclear short range correlations on sub-threshold particle production in proton-nucleus collisions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how short range correlations in nuclei can significantly enhance sub-threshold particle production in proton-nucleus collisions, with implications for future experiments at FAIR.

Contribution

It demonstrates that SRC can increase sub-threshold particle production probabilities by up to 1000 times and validates this with experimental data comparison.

Findings

SRC can enhance sub-threshold particle production by up to 1000 times.

Calculated $ ext{Xi}^-$ multiplicities match experimental data.

Findings are relevant for upcoming FAIR experiments.

Abstract

The apparent production of (multi-)strange baryons and mesons at sub-threshold energies in proton-heavy ion collisions is a consequence of short range correlations (SRC), which have recently been observed in lepton-nucleus scattering. They may enhance the available center of mass energy of individual nucleon-nucleon collisions and allow, therefore, for sub-threshold particle production in proton-nucleus collisions. Calculations demonstrate that SRC enhance the probability for particle production at nominal sub-threshold energies up to a factor of $\times 10^3$ as compared to a simple Fermi gas model. We benchmark the idea by calculating the $\Xi^-$ multiplicity in nominal sub-threshold p+Nb collisions which compare well with the data measured by the HADES collaboration. These findings are of prime relevance for upcoming experiments at the FAIR facility, especially for the study of charmed hadrons.