L. Busso

First results on 12ΛC production at DAΦNE

Lambda-hypernuclei are produced and studied, with the FINUDA spectrometer, for the first time at an e+e- collider: DAPHNE, the Frascati phi-factory. The slow negative kaons from phi(1020) decay are stopped in thin (0.2 g/cm^2) nuclear targets, and Lambda-hypernuclei formation is detected by measuring the momentum of the outgoing pi^-. A preliminary analysis on 12Lambda-C shows an energy resolution of 1.29 MeV FWHM on the hypernuclear levels, the best obtained so far with magnetic spectrometers at hadron facilities. Capture rates for the ground state and the excited ones are reported, and compared with previous experiments.

First results on proton extraction from the CERN SPS with a bent crystal

Abstract The feasibility of extracting protons from the halo of a high energy beam by means of a bent silicon crystal has been investigated. Protons diffusing from a GeV beam circulating in the SPS at CERN have been extracted at an angle of 8.5 mrad. Efficiencies of abour 10 percent, orders of magnitude higher than the values achieved previously, have been measured. The present results are promising in view of beam extraction from future multi-TeV proton accelerators.

p̄p annihilation cross section at very low energy

Abstract The pp total annihilation cross section has been measured, with the Obelix apparatus at LEAR, at ten values of the antiproton incident momentum between 43 and 175 MeV/c. The values of the cross section show that the well known 1 p behaviour of the annihilation cross section is drastically modified at very low momenta, which demonstrates the important role of the Coulomb force in low energy pp interaction. Moreover, they do not present any explicit resonant behaviour. Finally, when compared to potential model calculations, the data suggest that the percentage of P-wave in pp interaction around 50 MeV/c antiproton incident momentum is less than 5%.

Low-energy Antiproton Neon Interaction

Abstract By means of a streamer chamber exposed to the LEAR antiproton beams, the total reaction cross sections, the charged-prong multiplicity distributions and lower limits for the production of negative pions and K s 0 in the p-Ne interaction were measured at 19.6, 48.7 and 179.6 MeV. Annihilation was found to be dominant over all other non-elastic p-Ne processes. An analysis of Ne and other nuclei data in the frame of the Glauber theory allowed us to determine the ratio between the p-n and the p-p cross sections. An analysis in the light of INC model predictions allowed us to show up events which can be interpreted as annihilations having occurred deeply inside the nuclei.

Evidence for heavy hyperhydrogen (Lambda)H-6

Evidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus H-6(Lambda) is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA Phi NE, Frascati, studying (pi(+), pi(-)) pairs in coincidence from the (K) over bar (-)(stop) + Li-6 -> H-6(Lambda) + pi(+) production reaction followed by H-6(Lambda) -> He-6 + pi(-) weak decay. The production rate of H-6(Lambda) undergoing this two-body pi(-) decay is determined to be (2.9 +/- 2.0) x 10(-6)/K-stop(-). Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B-Lambda(H-6(Lambda)) = (4.0 +/- 1.1) MeV with respect to 5H + Lambda. A systematic difference of (0.98 +/- 0.74) MeV between B-Lambda values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the H-6(Lambda) 0(g.s)(+) excitationEvidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus 6{\Lambda}H is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA{\Phi}NE, Frascati, studying ({\pi}+, {\pi}-) pairs in coincidence from the K- +6Li \rightarrow 6 H+{\pi}+ production reaction followed by 6{\Lambda}H \rightarrow 6He + {\pi}- weak decay. The production rate of 6{\Lambda}H undergoing this two-body {\pi}- decay is determined to be (2.9\pm2.0)\cdot10-6/K-. Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B{\Lambda}(6{\Lambda}H) = (4.0\pm1.1) MeV with respect to 5H+{\Lambda}. A systematic difference of (0.98 \pm 0.74) MeV between B{\Lambda} values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the 6{\Lambda}H 0+g.s. \rightarrow 1+ excitation.

Evidence for 6{\Lambda}H

Evidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus H-6(Lambda) is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA Phi NE, Frascati, studying (pi(+), pi(-)) pairs in coincidence from the (K) over bar (-)(stop) + Li-6 -> H-6(Lambda) + pi(+) production reaction followed by H-6(Lambda) -> He-6 + pi(-) weak decay. The production rate of H-6(Lambda) undergoing this two-body pi(-) decay is determined to be (2.9 +/- 2.0) x 10(-6)/K-stop(-). Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B-Lambda(H-6(Lambda)) = (4.0 +/- 1.1) MeV with respect to 5H + Lambda. A systematic difference of (0.98 +/- 0.74) MeV between B-Lambda values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the H-6(Lambda) 0(g.s)(+) excitationEvidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus 6{\Lambda}H is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA{\Phi}NE, Frascati, studying ({\pi}+, {\pi}-) pairs in coincidence from the K- +6Li \rightarrow 6 H+{\pi}+ production reaction followed by 6{\Lambda}H \rightarrow 6He + {\pi}- weak decay. The production rate of 6{\Lambda}H undergoing this two-body {\pi}- decay is determined to be (2.9\pm2.0)\cdot10-6/K-. Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B{\Lambda}(6{\Lambda}H) = (4.0\pm1.1) MeV with respect to 5H+{\Lambda}. A systematic difference of (0.98 \pm 0.74) MeV between B{\Lambda} values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the 6{\Lambda}H 0+g.s. \rightarrow 1+ excitation.

New measurements of the p̄p annihilation cross section at very low energy

Abstract The p p total annihilation cross section has been measured at four values of the p incident momentum, between 70 MeV/c and 38 MeV/c, with the Obelix apparatus at LEAR. The new measurements are in agreement with the trend of previous measurements of the p p total annihilation cross section at low energy, performed by the Obelix experiment [A. Bertin et al., Phys. Lett. B 369 (1996) 77; A. Benedettini et al., Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.) 56A (1997) 58], as well as with a fit of the latter data based on a low energy expansion of the scattering amplitude [J. Carbonell, K.V. Protasov, A. Zenoni, Phys. Lett. B 397 (1997) 345]. The departure of the annihilation cross section from a smooth behaviour, suggested by a previous measurement of the cross section around 44 MeV/c [A. Bertin et al., Phys. Lett. B 369 (1996) 77], is not confirmed by the new data.

Meson spectroscopy with antineutrons

Abstract First results on meson spectroscopy using antineutrons as projectiles are reported. Three-body (π + π + π − ) and five-body (π + π + π + π − π − ) final states following the annihilation of 100 to 290 MeV/ c antineutrons on hydrogen were analyzed. The (π + π − ) invariant mass spectrum in the three-body reaction is accounted for by the ϱ 0 anf f 2 (1270) resonances, together with an enhancement around 1540 MeV, in the region of the AX (1565) and the f 2 (1515) resonances, whereas the best fit for the (π + π + π − π − ) invariant mass in five-body events shows the already reported structure ζ(1480) and suggests the presence of a second structure around 1650 MeV.

New results on mesonic weak decay of p-shell Lambda-hypernuclei

Abstract 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 Λ Li, 9 Λ Be, 11 Λ B and 15 Λ N. 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 Λ Li and 5 / 2 + for 11 Λ B ground-state are confirmed and a spin-parity 3 / 2 + for 15 Λ N ground-state is assigned for the first time.

Determination of the ratio σ(p̄n)/σ(p̄p) from p̄4He reaction data

Abstract The ratio R a b between the cross sections for the annihilation of p on n and on p bound in the 4 He nucleus at four p momenta (at rest, 192.8, 306.2 and 607.7 MeV/ c ) has been obtained by the analysis of p 4 He annihilation events detected with a self-shunted streamer chamber exposed to the LEAR p beams. R a b increases from 0.42 ± 0.05 at rest up to 0.66 ± 0.09 at 607.7 MeV/ c . The results are discussed in the light of Glauber theory analyses of p 2 H and p -nucleus data.