arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to V. Paticchio.
A direct experimental evidence of the occurrence of the weak reaction $Λnp\rightarrow nnp$ in nuclei has been obtained by the FINUDA experiment. Three events have been found that can be attributed to $^{7}_Λ$Li and $^{9}_Λ$Be two nucleon-induced non mesonic weak decays. The kinematic analysis of such events is presented here.
Evidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus 6ΛH is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DAΦNE, Frascati, studying (π+, π-) pairs in coincidence from the K- +6Li \rightarrow 6 H+π+ production reaction followed by 6ΛH \rightarrow 6He + π- weak decay. The production rate of 6ΛH undergoing this two-body π- decay is determined to be (2.9\pm2.0)\cdot10-6/K-. Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is BΛ(6ΛH) = (4.0\pm1.1) MeV with respect to 5H+Λ. A systematic difference of (0.98 \pm 0.74) MeV between BΛ values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the 6ΛH 0+g.s. \rightarrow 1+ excitation.
This letter is concerned with the study of the $K^-_{stop}A\rightarrow π^\pmΣ^\mp A'$ reaction in p-shell nuclei, i.e., $^{6,7}Li$, $^9Be$, $^{13}C$ and $^{16}O$. The $π^\pmΣ^\mp / K^-_{stop}$ emission rates are reported as a function of $A$. These rates are discussed in comparison with previous findings. The ratio $π^-Σ^+/π^+Σ^-$ in p-shell nuclei is found to depart largely from that on hydrogen, which provides support for large in-medium effects possibly generated by the sub-threshold $Λ(1405)$. The continuum momentum spectra of prompt pions and free sigmas are also discussed as well as the $π^\pmΣ^\mp$ missing mass behavior and the link with the reaction mechanism. The apparatus used for the investigation is the FINUDA spectrometer operating at the DA$Φ$NE $ϕ$-factory (LNF-INFN, Italy).
The Non-Mesonic (NM) decay of $^4_Λ{\mathrm{He}}$ and $^5_Λ{\mathrm{He}}$ in two-body channels has been studied by the FINUDA Collaboration. Two-body NM decays of hypernuclei are rare and the existing observations and theoretical calculations are scarce. The $^4_Λ{\mathrm{He}}\rightarrow d+d,\; p+t$ decay channels simultaneously observed by FINUDA on several nuclei are compared: the $pt$ channel is the dominant one. The decay yields for the two decay channels are assessed for the first time: they are $(1.37\pm 0.37)\times 10^{-5}/K^-_{stop}$ and $(8.3\pm 1.0)\times 10^{-5}/K^-_{stop}$, respectively. Due to the capability of FINUDA of identifying $^5_Λ{\mathrm{He}}$ hypernuclei, a few $^5_Λ{\mathrm{He}}\rightarrow d+t$ decay events have also been observed. The branching ratio for this decay channel has been measured for the first time: $(3.0\pm 2.3)\times 10^{-3}$.
The FINUDA experiment collected data to study the production of hypernuclei on different nuclear targets. The hypernucleus formation occurred through the strangeness-exchange reaction $K^-_{stop} + \; ^AZ \rightarrow \; ^A_ΛZ + π^-$. From the analysis of the momentum of the emerging $π^-$, binding energies and formation probabilities of $^7_Λ$Li, $^9_Λ$Be, $^{13}_Λ$C and $^{16}_Λ$O have been measured and are here presented. The behavior of the formation probability as a function of the atomic mass number A is also discussed.
The decay of $Λ$-hypernuclei without pion emission, known as Non Mesonic Weak Decay (NMWD), gives an effective tool to investigate $Δ$S=1 four-baryon interactions. It was theoretically suggested that the two-nucleon induced mechanism could play a substantial role in reproducing the observed NMWD decay rates and nucleon spectra, but at present no direct evidence of such a mechanism has been obtained. The FINUDA experiment, exploiting the possibility to detect both charged and neutral particles coming from the hypernucleus decay, has allowed us to deduce the relative weight of the two nucleon induced decay rate to the total NMWD rate. The value of $Γ_{2N}$/$Γ_{NMWD}$=0.24$\pm$${0.03_{stat}}^{+0.03_{sys}}_{-{0.02_{sys}}}$ has been deduced, with an error reduced by a factor more than two compared with the previous assessment.
New spectra from the FINUDA experiment of the Non Mesonic Weak Decay (NMWD) proton kinetic energy for 9(Lambda)Be, 11(Lambda)B, 12(Lambda)C, 13(Lambda)C, 15 (Lambda)N and 16(Lambda)O are presented and discussed along with the published data on 5(Lambda)He and 7(Lambda)Li. Exploiting the large mass number range and the low energy threshold (15 MeV) for the proton detection of FINUDA, an evaluation of both Final State Interactions (FSI) and the two nucleon induced NMWD contributions to the decay process has been done. Based on this evaluation, a linear dependence of FSI on the hypernuclear mass number A is found and for the two nucleon stimulated decay rate the experimental value of Gamma2/Gammap=0.43+-0.25 is determined for the first time. A value for the two nucleon stimulated decay rate to the total decay rate Gamma2/GammaNMWD=0.24+-0.10 is also extracted.
The FINUDA experiment performed a systematic study of the charged mesonic weak decay channel of $p$-shell $Λ$-hypernuclei. Negatively charged pion spectra from mesonic decay were measured with magnetic analysis for the first time for ${^{7}_ΛLi}$, ${^{9}_ΛBe}$, ${^{11}_ΛB}$ and ${^{15}_ΛN}$. The shape of the $π^{-}$ spectra was interpreted through a comparison with pion distorted wave calculations that take into account the structure of both hypernucleus and daughter nucleus. Branching ratios $Γ_{π^{-}}/Γ_{tot}$ were derived from the measured spectra and converted to $π^{-}$ decay rates $Γ_{π^{-}}$ by means of known or extrapolated total decay widths $Γ_{tot}$ of $p$-shell $Λ$-hypernuclei. Based on these measurements, the spin-parity assignment $1/2^+$ for ${^{7}_ΛLi}$ and $5/2^+$ for ${^{11}_ΛB}$ ground-state are confirmed and a spin-parity $3/2^+$ for ${^{15}_ΛN}$ ground-state is assigned for the first time.
The production of neutron rich $Λ$-hypernuclei via the ($K^-_stop$,$π^+$) reaction has been studied using data collected with the FINUDA spectrometer at the DA$Φ$NE $ϕ$-factory (LNF). The analysis of the inclusive $π^+$ momentum spectra is presented and an upper limit for the production of $^6_Λ$H and $^7_Λ$H from $^6$Li and $^7$Li, is assessed for the first time.
Momenta spectra of protons emitted following the capture of $K^-$ in $^6$Li and $^{12}$C have been measured with 1% resolution. The $^{12}$C spectrum is smooth whereas for $^6$Li a well defined peak appears at about 500 MeV/$c$. The first observation of a structure in this region was identified as a strange tribaryon or, possibly, a $\bar K$-nuclear state. The peak is correlated with a $π^-$ coming from $Σ^-$ decay in flight, selected by setting momenta larger than 275 MeV/$c$. The $Σ^-$ could be produced, together with a 500 MeV/$c$ proton, by the capture of a $K^-$ in a deuteron-cluster substructure of the $^6$Li nucleus. The capture rate for such a reaction is $(1.62\pm 0.23_{stat} ^{+0.71}_{-0.44}(sys))%/K^-_{stop}$, in agreement with the existing observations on $^4$He targets and with the hypothesis that the $^6$Li nucleus can be interpreted as a $(d+α)$ cluster.
Experimental information has been derived from the neutron-proton correlation function in order to deduce the time sequence of neutrons and protons emitted at 45 degrees in the E/A = 45 MeV 58Ni + 27Al reaction.