Accessing the strong interaction between Λ baryons and charged kaons with the femtoscopy technique at the LHC
S. Acharya, D. Adamová, Alexander Adler, G. Aglieri Rinella, M. Agnello, N. Agrawal, Z. Ahammed, S. Ahmad, S. U. Ahn, I. Ahuja, A. Akindinov, M. Al-Turany, D. Aleksandrov, B. Alessandro, H. M. Alfanda, Jose Ruben Alfaro Molina, Bushra Ali, A. Alici, N. Alizadehvandchali, A. Alkin, J. Alme, G. Alocco, T. Alt, Anna Rita Altamura, I. Altsybeev, M. N. Anaam, C. Andrei, A. Andronic, V. Anguelov, F. Antinori, P. Antonioli, N. Apadula, L. Aphecetche, H. Appelshäuser, C. Arata, S. Arcelli, M. Aresti, R. Arnaldi, Jhoao Gabriel Martins Campos Almeida Arneiro, I. C. Arsene, M. Arslandok, A. Augustinus, R. Averbeck, M. D. Azmi, Hitoshi Baba, A. Badalà, Joonsuk Bae, Y. W. Baek, Xiaozhi Bai, R. Bailhache, Y. Bailung, A. Balbino, A. Baldisseri, Bartosz Baliś, D. Banerjee, Z. Banoo, R. Barbera, F. Barile, L. Barioglio, Maria Barlou, G. G. Barnaföldi, L. S. Barnby, V. Barret, Leonardo Barreto de Oliveira Campos, C. Bartels, K. Barth, E. Bartsch, N. Bastid, S. Basu, G. Batigne, D. Battistini, B. Batyunya, Dibakar Bauri, J. L. Bazo Alba, I. G. Bearden, C. Beattie, P. Becht, D. Behera, I. Belikov, A. D. C. Bell Hechavarria, F. Bellini, R. Bellwied, S. Belokurova, G. Bencédi, S. Beolè, A. Bercuci, Y. Berdnikov, A. Berdnikova, L. Bergmann, Mihaela Gabriela Besoiu, L. Betev, Partha Pratim Bhaduri, A. Bhasin, M. A. Bhat, B. Bhattacharjee, L. Bianchi, N. Bianchi, J. Bielčík, J. Bielčíková, J. Biernat
Abstract
The interaction between Λ baryons and kaons/antikaons is a crucial ingredient for the strangeness S=0 and S=−2 sector of the meson–baryon interaction at low energies. In particular, the ΛK‾ might help in understanding the origin of states such as the Ξ(1620), whose nature and properties are still under debate. Experimental data on Λ–K and Λ–K‾ systems are scarce, leading to large uncertainties and tension between the available theoretical predictions constrained by such data. In this Letter we present the measurements of Λ–K⊕+Λ‾–K− and Λ–K⊕−Λ‾–K+ correlations obtained in the high-multiplicity triggered data sample in pp collisions at s=13 TeV recorded by ALICE at the LHC. The correlation function for both pairs is modeled using the Lednický–Lyuboshits analytical formula and the corresponding scattering parameters are extracted. The Λ–K⊕−Λ‾–K+ correlations show the presence of several structures at relative momenta k⁎ above 200 MeV/c, compatible with the Ω baryon, the Ξ(1690), and Ξ(1820) resonances decaying into Λ–K− pairs. The low k⁎ region in the Λ–K⊕−Λ‾–K+ also exhibits the presence of the Ξ(1620) state, expected to strongly couple to the measured pair. The presented data allow to access the ΛK+ and ΛK− strong interaction with an unprecedented precision and deliver the first experimental observation of the Ξ(1620) decaying into ΛK−.