Measurements of Light Nuclei (d, t, $^3$He)-$\Lambda$ Correlations in Au+Au Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=3$ GeV from STAR

TL;DR

This paper reports the first measurements of light nuclei-$\Lambda$ correlations in high-energy Au+Au collisions, providing new insights into hyperon interactions and hypernuclei structure relevant to neutron star physics.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental data on d-$\Lambda$, t-$\Lambda$, and $^{3}$He-$\Lambda$ correlations at 3 GeV, using the Lednicky-Lyuboshitz model to analyze hyperon-nucleon interactions.

Findings

Source sizes and interaction parameters were extracted.

Results inform hyperon interactions and hypernuclei structure.

Data contribute to understanding neutron star matter.

Abstract

Heavy-ion collisions offer a unique way to study hyperon-nucleon ($Y$-$N$) interactions through two-particle momentum correlations, which reveal the source's space-time structure and the effects of the final state interactions. Correlations between light nuclei (d, t, $^{3}$He) and $\Lambda$ provide insight into hypernuclei structure, binding energies, and many-body interactions that might be relevant to the inner structure of neutron stars. This work presents the first measurements of d-$\Lambda$, t-$\Lambda$, and $^{3}$He-$\Lambda$ correlations from $\sqrt{s_{_{\rm NN}}} = 3$ GeV Au+Au collisions collected in 2021 at STAR. Using the Lednicky-Lyuboshitz model, we extract source sizes and interaction parameters, shedding light on hyperon interactions and light hypernuclei structure.