We have performed an exclusive measurement of the $K^{-}+! ~^{3}{rm He} to Lambda pn$ reaction at an incident kaon momentum of $1 {rm GeV}/c$.In the $Lambda p$ invariant mass spectrum, a clear peak was observed below the mass threshold of $bar{K}!+!N!+!N$, as a signal of the kaonic nuclear bound state, $bar{K}NN$.The binding energy, decay width, and $S$-wave Gaussian reaction form-factor of this state were observed to be $B_{K} = 42pm3({rm stat.})^{+3}_{-4}({rm syst.}) {rm MeV}$, $Gamma_{K} = 100pm7({rm stat.})^{+19}_{-9}({rm syst.}) {rm MeV}$, and $Q_{K} = 383pm11({rm stat.})^{+4}_{-1}({rm syst.}) {rm MeV}/c$, respectively. The total production cross-section of $bar{K}NN$, determined by its $Lambda p$ decay mode, was $sigma^{tot}_{K} cdot BR_{Lambda p} = 9.3pm0.8({rm stat.})^{+1.4}_{-1.0}({rm syst.}) mu{rm b}$.We estimated the branching ratio of the $bar{K}NN$ state to the $Lambda p$ and $Sigma^{0}p$ decay modes as $BR_{Lambda p}/BR_{Sigma^{0}p} sim 1.7$, by assuming that the physical processes leading to the $Sigma N!N$ final states are analogous to those of $Lambda pn$.
Download