High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy of ΛLi

We report on the first observation of hypernuclear γ transitions using germanium detectors. Using a large-acceptance Ge detector system, we observed two γ transitions in _Λ⁷Li, the spin-flip transition at 689±4keV and the transition at 2050±2 keV (preliminary). The strength of the ΛN spin-spin interaction is derived from the energy of the former transition. As for the latter transition, B(E2) was measured to be 3.9±0.6±0.4 e²fm⁴ (preliminary), which indicates a shrinkage of the nuclear size of _Λ⁷Li from ⁶Li and confirms “glue-like role” of Λ.     

Experimental observation of the Σ hypernuclei, ΣH and ΣC

The hypernuclei _Σ⁶H and _Σ¹⁶C were observed by the (K⁻, π⁺) reaction on targets of ⁶Li and liquid O, respectively, at 713 MeV/c incident K⁻ momentum. Structure is seen in _Σ⁶H which may be interpreted in terms of particle-hole excitations similar to the previously observed states in _Λ⁶Li. The inablitity to resolve individual Σ hypernuclear levels in _Σ¹⁶C, due in part to the excitation of non-coherent states as a result of the large momentum transfer of about 130 MeV/c, precludes the extraction of the Σ-nucleus spin-orbit potential strength. The Σ-nucleus well depth appears to be 7 to 10 MeV less than that for the Λ.     

Mesonic and non-mesonic decay widths of ΛC

Results are reported on the precise measurement of the lifetime and the weak-decay branching ratios with charged particle(π⁻ and proton) emission from _Λ¹²C formed via ¹²C(π⁺,K⁺) reaction. The π⁻ mesonic decay width is consistent with the calculations including the pion wave function distortion effect. We observed large contribution of the neutron-stimulated decay widths, Γ(Λ + n → n + n), in the non-mesonic weak decay, which cannot be explained by the current theoretical calculations.     

Structure of a Λ-hypernucleus ΛY measured with the SKS spectrometer

We have measured an excitation energy spectrum of a Λ-hypernucleus _Λ⁸⁹Y via the (π⁺, K⁺) reaction by using the SKS spectrometer at KEK. The best quality data with the energy resolution of 1.63 MeV(FWHM) was obtained in the highest statistics so far. In the spectrum, we can find a splitting of the f-orbital of a Λ particle with the separation of 1.6±0.15 MeV(statistical error only), which may be attributed to the spin-orbit splitting.     

Spectroscopy of light Λ hypernuclei

We recently measured high-statistics and high-resolution spectra of p-shell Λ hypernuclei produced by the (π⁺, K⁺) reaction. In this article, cross sections and their angular distributions of _Λ¹²C and _Λ¹⁶O are reported. The obtained cross sections are well reproduced by DWIA calculations.     

The Li(K, π)ΣH reaction and narrow Σ states

Small-angle cross sections are calculated for ⁶Li(K⁻, π⁺)_Σ⁶H at 720 MeV/c, in order to intepret the data of the preceding paper. Due to the spin-isospin selectivity of ΣN → ΛN conversion, the substitution 1s_N → 1s_Σ leads to a narrow resonance high in the Σ continuum. Further tests of selectivity with ^3,4He targets are suggested. The energy shifts of Σ states which arise from the spin-isospin dependence of the ΣN interaction are discussed.     

The Λc and its inclusive nonleptonic decay

The inclusive nonleptonic decay of the Λ_c⁺ is reanalyzed using a nonrelativistic quark model representation of the Λ_c⁺- wavefunction. It is shown that the same approximation which leads to the familiar spectator and annihilation type contributions naturally also gives interference terms as a direct consequence of Fermi statistics. Numerical estimates which include these novel contributions, are presented for the Λ_c⁺ lifetime and semileptonic branching ratio.     

Origin of the metal-insulator transition in the superconducting series Bi2Sr2Ca1−xYxCu2O8+δ

The metal-insulator transition in the solid solution Bi₂Sr₂Ca_1−xY_xCu₂O_8+δ (0≤x≤1) has been investigated by TGA (oxygen content) and by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (Bi and Cu valence states). Resistivity and AC magnetic susceptibility measurements have shown that the superconducting properties and the metallic behavior vanish for x>0.55. The oxygen content δ is larger than x/2 for x≤0.3 and smaller than x/2 for x≥0.6. For x=0, the Cu K edge shows a shift towards high energy with respect to the Cu(II) oxide La₂CuO₄; this shift decreases with increasing x in agreement with the decrease of the doping hole density and the variations of the physical properties. For 0≤x≤0.3, the Bi L₃ edge shows a shift of 1 eV towards low energy with respect to the Bi(III) oxide Bi₂O₃ in agreement with the charge transfer between [CuO₂]_∞ and [BiO]_∞ planes. This shift also decreases with increasing x, but is still present for the x=0.6 composition for which δ is smaller than x/2. A model of the metal-insulator transition in this series is proposed based on the fact that the intercalation of excess oxygen raises the bottom of the Bi-O band with respect to the Fermi level and decreases the contribution of the Bi-O electron pocket to the hole density.     

Final-state hyperon-nucleon interaction in the inclusive K photoproduction from the deuteron

We calculate d(γ, K⁺) inclusive cross sections with the full inclusion of the final ΛN - ΣN interaction. Modern hyperon-nucleon forces and a recently updated production operator for the γ + N → K⁺ + Y process are used. Significant effects of the hyperon-nucleon final-state interaction have been found especially around the K⁺ΣN threshold.     

Experimental study of the time-dependent rate of K → πππ

The time-dependence of the decay rate of initially pure K⁰ into the final state (π⁺π⁻π⁰) has been studied in search for the decay k_S⁰→π⁺π⁻π⁰. No evidence is found in a sample of 384 observed events. The ratio of the CP -violating K_S⁰ amplitude and the K_L⁰ amplitude is η₊₋₀ = (0.13_−0.20^+0.17) + i(0.17_−0.26^+0.27); the ratio of the CP-conserving K_S⁰ amplitude and the K_L⁰ amplitude is < 0.4. The energy dependence of the K⁰→π⁺π⁻π⁰ matrix element is found to be a₊₋₀ = −0.31 ± 0.03.     

Relativistic field-theoretical equations for the three-body multichannel πN and γN scattering reactions and propagator of the Δ-resonance

A new form of the relativistic three-body equations for the coupled πN and γN scattering reactions with three particle final states ππN and γπN is suggested. These equations are derived in the framework of the time-ordered three dimensional field theory. The solutions of the considered equations satisfy the unitarity condition and are exactly gauge invariant. The form of these three-body equations is does not depend on the choice of the model of Lagrangian and is also the same for the formulations with and without quark degrees of freedom.

The effective potentials of the suggested equations are defined by the vertex functions with two on-mass shell particles. It is emphasized that these input vertex functions can be constructed from experimental data. Special attention is given to the construction of the propagator of the Δ-resonance in the framework of the separable πN potential model. The strong dependence of the multichannel πN and γN cross sections on the form of the Δ-resonance propagator[2] is discussed.

The used formulation of the relativistic three-dimensional and three-body equations allows us to overcome a number of approximations which are usually used by practical calculations of the πN and γN scattering reactions.     

The NN → NNη reaction close to threshold

The pp → ppη and np → npη reactions at energies near the η production threshold are studied in a non-relativistic one boson exchange model, where the N^* (1535 MeV) S11 resonance is excited through the exchange of π, η, and ω mesons and subsequently decays into an ηN pair. Energy integrated cross sections and energy spectra of the out going η's are reported. Providing NN and ηN final state interactions are taken into account coherently, the model reproduces both the scale and energy dependence of the cross section for the pp → ppη reactions up to 100 MeV. Final state interaction corrections due to the nucleon-nucleon and meson-nucleon forces influence strongly the scale and shape of the cross sections. The shape of the energy spectra of the outgoing η's provides a clear signature of the ηN force.     

Photoproduction of Θ and other pentaquark states

We present constraints on the relative photoproduction cross sections of positive parity pentaquark states, Σ₅, Λ₅, and N₅, based on a minimum phenomenology gained in and their baryon–meson couplings as in the work of Close and Dudek. The possibility of anomalous signals in γp→K⁰_S(Θ⁺;Σ_d⁺) is discussed. We emphasize the importance of comparing with “conventional” states such as γN→KΣ(1660).     

Asymmetric weak decay of polarized hypernuclei

We measured the asymmetric weak decay of the polarized _Λ⁵He hypernuclei. The polarization was derived by the observed asymmetry of the mesonic decay pions for the first time. The asymmetry parameter of the nonmesonic decay has been evaluated using the obtained polarization and the asymmetry of the decay protons. The positive asymmetry parameter contradicts theoretical prediction based on meson exchange model. The present data indicates the limitation of the model in ΛN weak interaction, in particular short range phenomena such the nonmesonic decay of hypernuclei.     

The reactions pp→pΛK and pp→pΣK near their thresholds

The reactions pp→pΛK⁺ and pp→pΣ⁰K⁺ are studied near their thresholds. The strangeness production process is described by the π- and K exchange mechanisms. Effects from the final state interaction in the hyperon-nucleon system are taken into account rigorously. The Λ production turns out to be dominated by K exchange whereas K- as well as π exchange play an important role for the Σ⁰ case. It is shown that the experimentally observed strong suppression of Σ⁰ production compared to Λ production at the same excess energy can be explained by a destructive interference between π and K exchange in the reaction pp→pΣ⁰K⁺. Implications of such an interference on the reaction pp→nΣ⁺K⁺ are pointed out.     

The contribution of Bc mesons to the search for B → τ ντ decays at LEP

We study the contribution of B_c mesons to the search for B → τν_τ decays. We find that at LEP the contributions from B_u and B_c mesons can be comparable. This observation can have a relevant impact on the extraction of constraints on new physics (such as charged-Higgs contributions) from current LEP limits on B → τν final states. Inclusion of the B_c contribution can reduce the current L3 limit on tan β/M_H from 0.38 GeV⁻¹ (90% CL) down to 0.27 GeV⁻¹ (90% CL).     

A measurement of the η radiative width Γη→γγ

The radiative width of the η meson has been measured at PETRA in photon-photon collisions. The resulting value is Γ_η→γγ = 0.53±0.04±0.04 keV.     

On the pp → ppη(η′) reactions near threshold

The production rate for η′ in pp → ppη′ at rest is calculated in a covariant one boson exchange model, previously applied to study π⁰ and η production in NN collisions. The transition amplitudes for the elementary BN → η′N processes with B being the meson exchanged (B = π, σ, η, , ω and a₀) are taken to be the sum of s- and u-channels with a nucleon in the intermediate states, and an a₀ meson pole in a t-channel. The couplings of the η′ to hadrons are a factor 0.4 weaker than the respective η-hadron couplings, as suggested by a quark model and a singlet-octet mixing angle θ = −23°. The model reproduces near threshold cross sections for the quasielastic processes π⁻p → nη(η′) and pp → ppη(η′) reactions.     

Phase relationships in an Al3 (Ti,V) based in-situ composite

The phases and the crystallographic relationships between phases observed in an Al₇₀Ti₁₀V₂₀ alloy following chill casting and post-solidification heat treatment have been characterized using analytical transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The chill-cast microstructure comprised a mixture of primary dendrites of δ-Al₃ (Ti,V) and interdendritic eutectic zones in which the continuous phase was δ-Al₃ (Ti,V) and the rode-like discontinuous phase was ζ-Al₈V₅. Following isothermal heat treatments in the temperature range 1073–1273 K, a uniform distribution of rod-like particles was observed to develop throughout the δ matrix and a phase transformation was detected within the dispersed particles, as the intermetallic ζ phase was replaced by b.c.c.β-(Ti,V) metallic solid solution. This transformation was typically complete within 100 hr at 1073 K, leading to the formation of an in-situ composite consisting of a uniform dispersion of metallic β-phase in a brittle Al₃(Ti,V) intermetallic matrix. The orientation relationship between the discontinuous β-(Ti,V) particles and the DO₂₂δ-Al₃(Ti,V) matrix involved parallelism of the closest-packed planes and close-packed directions in those planes, i.e. (110)_β//(112)_δ(DO22) and [ 11]_β//[ 10]_δ(DO22).