Charge symmetry breaking in the A=4 hypernuclei

Abstract

Charge symmetry breaking (CSB) in the $\Lambda$-nucleon strong interaction generates a charge dependence of $\Lambda$ separation energies in mirror hypernuclei, which in the case of the $A=4$ mirror hypernuclei $0^+$ ground states is sizable, $\Delta B^{J=0}_{\Lambda}\equiv B^{J=0}_{\Lambda} (_{\Lambda}^4{\rm He}) -B^{J=0}_{\Lambda}(_{\Lambda}^4{\rm H})=230\pm 90$ keV, and of opposite sign to that induced by the Coulomb repulsion in light hypernuclei. Recent ab-initio calculations of the ($_{\Lambda}^4{\rm H},{_{\Lambda}^4{\rm He}}$) mirror hypernuclei $0^+_{\rm g.s.}$ and $1^+_{\rm exc}$ levels have demonstrated that a $\Lambda - \Sigma^0$ mixing CSB model due to Dalitz and von Hippel (1964) is capable of reproducing this large value of $\Delta B^{J=0}_{\Lambda}$. These calculations are discussed here with emphasis placed on the leading-order chiral EFT hyperon-nucleon strong-interaction Bonn-Juelich potential model used and the no-core shell-model calculational scheme applied. The role of one-pion exchange in producing sizable CSB level splittings in the $A=4$ mirror hypernuclei is discussed.