Weak Decay of Lambda Hypernuclei

Abstract

We review recent developments concerning the weak decay of Lambda hypernuclei. New studies covering the mesonic decay channel as well as recent models for the non-mesonic one are discussed and compared with experimental data. The puzzle of the neutron- to proton-induced decay ratio, Gamma_n/Gamma_p, is addressed in connection to the two-nucleon induced decay channel and proposals for more efficient experimental analyses of this ratio are made.

Comments: Review paper to appear in Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. vol. 41, 63 pages, 16 ps figures, latex, uses cite.sty,epsf.sty (included)