Towards resolving the Λ 3 H lifetime puzzle

A. Gal, H. Garcilazo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent Λ 3 H lifetime measurements in relativistic heavy ion collision experiments have yielded values shorter by (30±8)% than the free Λ lifetime τ Λ , thereby questioning the naive expectation τ(HΛ3)≈τ Λ for a weakly bound Λ hyperon. Here we apply the closure approximation introduced by Dalitz and coworkers to evaluate the Λ 3 H lifetime, using Λ 3 H wavefunctions generated by solving three-body Faddeev equations. Our result, disregarding pion final-state interaction (FSI), is τ(HΛ3)=(0.90±0.01)τ Λ . In contrast to previous works, pion FSI is found attractive, reducing further τ(HΛ3) to τ(HΛ3)=(0.81±0.02)τ Λ . We also evaluate for the first time τ(nΛ3), finding it considerably longer than τ Λ , contrary to the shorter lifetime values suggested by the GSI HypHI experiment for this controversial hypernucleus.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)48-53
Number of pages6
JournalPhysics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume791
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Apr 2019

Keywords

  • Faddeev calculations
  • Hypertriton lifetime
  • Light Λ hypernuclei

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