Search for double- Λ hypernuclei and the H-dibaryon in the ( K−, K+) reaction on 12C

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 478; no. 4; pp. 401 - 407
• Main Authors: Yamamoto, K., Alburger, D.E., Barnes, P.D., Bassalleck, B., Berdoz, A.R., Biglan, A., Bürger, T., Carman, D.S., Chrien, R.E., Davis, C.A., Fischer, H., Franklin, G.B., Franz, J., Gan, L., Ichikawa, A., Iijima, T., Imai, K., Khaustov, P., Kondo, Y., Koran, P., Landry, M., Lee, L., Lowe, J., Magahiz, R., May, M., McCrady, R., Merrill, F., Meyer, C.A., Page, S.A., Paschke, K., Pile, P.H., Quinn, B.P., Ramsay, W.D., Rusek, A., Sawafta, R., Schmitt, H., Schumacher, R.A., Stotzer, R.W., Sutter, R., Takeutchi, F., van Oers, W.T.H., Yosoi, M., Zeps, V.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.04.2000
• Subjects: 25.80.Nv; 21.80.+a
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/S0370-2693(00)00299-9

A search for double- Λ hypernuclei ( 12 ΛΛ Be) and H-dibaryons using the 12C( K −, K +) reaction was performed at the BNL-AGS using a high-intensity 1.8 GeV/ c K − beam. A missing-mass analysis below the end point of the quasi-free Ξ − production was used to investigate these S=−2 systems. The upper limit obtained for the forward-angle cross section of 12 ΛΛ Be production is 6 to 10 nb/sr. This is the first search for the direct production of double- Λ hypernuclei to reach the sensitivity required to observe the signal predicted by theoretical calculations. For the H-production cross section, we have obtained an upper limit in the range of a few nb/sr to 10 nb/sr for the H mass below 2100 MeV/ c 2. This upper limit is the most sensitive H search result to date for a tightly bound H.