Formation of hypernuclei in high energy reactions within a covariant transport model

Abstract

We investigate the formation of fragments with strangeness degrees of freedom in proton- and heavy-ion-induced reactions at high relativistic energies. The model used is a combination of a dynamical transport model and a statistical approach of fragment formation. We discuss in detail the applicability and limitations of such a hybrid model by comparing data on spectator fragmentation at relativistic $SIS/GSI$-energies. The theoretical results are analyzed in terms of spectator fragmentation with strangeness degrees of freedom such as the production of single-$\Lambda -{}^{3,4,5}He$ hypernuclei. We provide theoretical estimates on the spectra and on inclusive cross sections of light hypernuclei, which could be helpful for future experiments on hypernuclear physics at the new GSI- and J-PARC-facilities.

Comments: 17 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B