Missing-mass spectroscopy with the Li-6(pi(-), K+)X reaction to search for H-6(Lambda)

Abstract

We searched for the bound state of the neutron-rich Lambda-hypernucleus H-6(Lambda), using the Li-6(pi(-), K+)X double charge-exchange reaction at a pi-beam momentum of 1.2 GeV/c at J-PARC. A total of 1.4 x 10(12) pi(-) was driven onto a Li-6 target of 3.5-g/cm(2) thickness. No event was observed below the bound threshold, i.e., the mass of H-4(Lambda) + 2n, in the missing-mass spectrum of the Li-6(pi(-), K+) X reaction in the 2 degrees < theta(pi K) < 20 degrees angular range. Furthermore, no event was found up to 2.8 MeV/c(2) above the bound threshold. We obtained the double-differential cross section spectra of the Li-6(pi(-), K+)X reaction in the angular range of 2 degrees < theta(pi K) < 14 degrees. An upper limit of 0.56 nb/sr (90% C.L.) was obtained for the production cross section of the H-6(Lambda) hypernucleus bound state. In addition, not only the bound state region, but also the Lambda continuum region and part of the Sigma(-) quasifree production region of the Li-6(pi(-), K+) reaction were obtained with high statistics. The present missing-mass spectrum will facilitate the investigation of the Sigma(-) -nucleus optical potential for Sigma(-) -He-5 through spectrum shape analysis.