No Arabic abstract
We have obtained the decay asymmetry parameters in non-mesonic weak decay of polarized Lambda-hypernuclei by measuring the proton asymmetry. The polarized Lambda-hypernuclei, 5_Lambda-He, 12_Lambda-C, and 11_Lambda-B, were produced in high statistics via the (pi^+,k^+) reaction at 1.05 GeV/c in the forward angles. Preliminary analysis shows that the decay asymmetry parameters are very small for these s-shell and p-shell hypernuclei.
The asymmetry parameter alpha_p^NM for a proton exclusively emitted in the Lambda p -> np process was, for the first time, measured in the non-mesonic weak decay of a polarized 5_La,bda_He hypernucleus by selecting the proton-neutron pairs emitted in the back-to-back kinematics. The highly polarized 5_Lambda_He was abundantly produced with the (pi+,K+) reaction at 1.05GeV/c in the scattering angular range of +-15$ degrees. The obtained value alpha_p^NM=0.31+-0.22, as well as that for inclusive protons, alpha_p^NM=0.11+-0.08+-0.04, largely contradicts recent theoretical values of around -0.6, although these calculations well reproduce the branching ratios of non-mesonic weak decay.
Previous studies of proton and neutron spectra from Non-Mesonic Weak Decay of eight Lambda-Hypernuclei (A = 5-16) have been revisited. New values of the ratio of the two-nucleon and the one-proton induced decay widths, Gamma_2N/Gamma_p, are obtained from single proton spectra, Gamma_2N/Gamma_p = 0.50 +/- 0.24, and from neutron and proton coincidence spectra, Gamma_2N/Gamma_p = 0.36 +/- 0.14stat +0.05sys -0.04sys , in full agreement with previously published ones. With these values, a method is developed to extract the one-proton induced decay width in units of the free Lambda decay width, Gamma_p/Gamma_Lambda, without resorting to Intra Nuclear Cascade models but by exploiting only experimental data, under the assumption of a linear dependence on A of the Final State Interaction contribution. This is the first systematic determination ever done and it agrees within the errors with recent theoretical calculations.
Hypernuclei are convenient laboratory to study the baryon-baryon weak interaction and associated effective Hamiltonian. The strangeness changing process, in which a Lambda hyperon converts to a neutron with a release up to 176 MeV, provides a clear signal for a conversion of an s-quark to a d-quark. We propose to perform a non-mesonic weak decay study of 10Be(Lambda)hypernuclei using the (e,eK) reaction. These investigations will fully utilize the unique parameters of the CEBAF CW electron beam and RF system and are enabled by (1) the use of new detector for alpha particles based on the recently developed RF timing technique with picosecond resolution and (2) the small angle and large acceptance kaon spectrometer-HKS in Hall C.
The non-mesonic weak decay of polarized Lambda-hypernuclei is studied for the first time by taking into account, with a Monte Carlo intranuclear cascade code, the nucleon final state interactions. A one-meson-exchange model is employed to describe the Lambda N-> n N processes in a finite nucleus framework. The relationship between the intrinsic Lambda asymmetry parameter a_Lambda and the asymmetry a^M_Lambda accessible in experiments is discussed. A strong dependence of a^M_Lambda on nucleon final state interactions and detection threshold is obtained. Our results for a^M_Lambda are consistent with ^{11}_Lambda B and ^{12}_Lambda C data but disagree with observations in ^5_Lambda He.
The non-mesonic weak decay of $Lambda$--hypernuclei is studied within a one-meson-exchange potential supplemented by a chirally motivated two-pion-exchange mechanism. The effects of final state interactions on the outgoing nucleons are also taken into account. In view of the severe discrepancies between theoretical expectations and experimental data, particular attention is payed to the asymmetry of the protons emitted by polarized hypernuclei. The one-meson-exchange model describes the non-mesonic rates and the neutron-to-proton ratio satisfactorily but predicts a too large and negative asymmetry parameter. The uncorrelated and correlated two-pion mechanisms change the rates moderately, thus maintaining the agreement with experiment. The modification in the strength and sign of some decay amplitudes becomes crucial and produces asymmetry parameters which lie well within the experimental observations.