Violation of the Δ\DeltaI=1/2 rule in the nonmesonic weak decay of Λ\Lambda hypernuclei

Violations of the $\Delta$I=1/2 rule are investigated in the nonmesonic weak hypernuclear decay using a weak $\Lambda$N$\to$NN transition potential based on meson exchange. While the weak $\Delta$I=3/2 matrix elements of baryons with pseudoscalar mesons are known to be very small, the same matrix elements of baryons with vector mesons, evaluated in the factorization approximation, are found to be significant. Within the uncertainties of the factorization approximation we find that the total rate increases by at most 6% lying within the error bars of the more recent experimental result. The neutron- to proton-induced rate, on the other hand, can change by up to a factor of two, while the asymmetry parameter is strongly affected as well.Comment: 17 pages. Paper related to a contribution presented at the International Conference on Hypernuclear and Strange Particle Physics (HYP97). Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Microscopic Approach to Nucleon Spectra in Hypernuclear Non-Mesonic Weak Decay

A consistent microscopic diagrammatic approach is applied for the first time to the calculation of the nucleon emission spectra in the non-mesonic weak decay of Lambda-hypernuclei. We adopt a nuclear matter formalism extended to finite nuclei via the local density approximation, a one--meson exchange weak transition potential and a Bonn nucleon-nucleon strong potential. Ground state correlations and final state interactions, at second order in the nucleon--nucleon interaction, are introduced on the same footing for all the isospin channels of one- and two-nucleon induced decays. Single and double--coincidence nucleon spectra are predicted for 12_Lambda^C and compared with recent KEK and FINUDA data. The key role played by quantum interference terms allows us to improve the predictions obtained with intranuclear cascade codes. Discrepancies with data remain for proton emission.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. To be published in Physics Letters

Decay of Hypernuclei

We present a nonrelativistic transition potential for the weak strangeness-changing reaction $\Lambda N \to NN$. The potential is based on a one meson exchange model (OME), where, in addition to the long-ranged pion, the exchange of the pseudoscalar $K, \eta$, as well as the vector $\rho, \omega, K^*$ mesons is considered. Results obtained for different hypernuclear decay observables are compared to the available experimental data.Comment: 8 pages. Invited talk given at the KEK-Tanashi International Symposium on Physics of Hadrons and Nuclei. Tokyo, Japan, December 14-17, 1998. In honor of Prof. K. Yazaki. Submitted to Nucl. Phys. A. LateX file (uses espcrc1.sty

Terror Management and the News: An Exploration into the Effects of Framing on Mortality Salience

The present study explores the link between Terror Management Theory and the use of its principles within news media. Political news media in the digital age undergoes a variety of framing effects, more specifically episodic and thematic frames of stories. To induce mortality salience, college-aged participants were presented with stories framed from the perspective of an individual’s experience or a general theme of experiences regarding the controversial pro-life topic and a non-controversial hiking topic. These stories are presented in the style of Instagram posts to mirror how college-aged people consume news media. The stories also contain wording designed to induce mortality salience, creating avenues for worldview defense. Following the presentation of the news stories and a short delay, participants then completed a death thought accessibility measure and a questionnaire about their level of agreement or opposition to the news stories presented, displaying either worldview defense or greater worldview adherence. The results from this experiment show increased worldview defense for participants that viewed the controversial post and no significant differences in the amount of death thoughts present in the conscious, although the non-controversial image had a slightly higher average of death thoughts than the controversial post. The implications of these results are discussed

Quantum interference terms in nonmesonic weak decay of Λ\Lambda-hypernuclei within a RPA formalism

Single and double coincidence nucleon spectra in the $\Lambda$-hypernuclei weak decay are evaluated and discussed using a microscopic formalism. Nuclear matter is employed together with the local density approximation which allows us to analyze the $^{12}_{\Lambda}C$ hypernucleus non-mesonic weak decay. Final state interactions (FSI) are included via the first order (in the nuclear residual interaction) terms to the RPA, where the strong residual interaction is modelled by a Bonn potential. At this level of approximation, these FSI are pure quantum interference terms between the primary decay $(\Lambda N \to NN)$ and $(\Lambda N \to NN \to NN)$, where the strong interaction is responsible for the last piece in the second reaction. Also the Pauli exchange contributions are explicitly evaluated. We show that the inclusion of Pauli exchange terms is important. A comparison with data is made. We conclude that the limitations in phase space in the RPA makes this approximation inadequate to reproduce the nucleon spectra. This fact, does not allow us to draw a definite conclusion about the importance of the interference terms.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figure

Neutron and proton spectra from the decay of Λ\Lambda hypernuclei

We have determined the spectra of neutrons and protons following the decay of $\Lambda$ hypernuclei through the one- and two-nucleon induced mechanisms. The momentum distributions of the primary nucleons are calculated and a Monte Carlo simulation is used to account for final state interactions. From the spectra we calculate the number of neutrons ($N_n$) and protons ($N_p$) per $\Lambda$ decay and show how the measurement of these quantities, particularly $N_p$, can lead to a determination of $\Gamma_n / \Gamma_p$, the ratio of neutron to proton induced $\Lambda$ decay. We also show that the consideration of the two-nucleon induced channel has a repercussion in the results, widening the band of allowed values of $\Gamma_n / \Gamma_p$ with respect to what is obtained neglecting this channel.Comment: 30 pages, 12 Postscript figures, uuencoded file, ReVTeX, epsf.st

Kinematical and nonlocality effects on the nonmesonic weak hypernuclear decay

We derive in detail the transition potential for nonmesonic lambda-hypernuclear decay in a one-meson-exchange model involving the full pseudoscalar and vector meson octets and including two effects that have been systematically omitted in the literature. These are the kinematical effects due to the difference between the lambda and nucleon masses and the first-order nonlocality corrections. Numerical results for $^{12}_\Lambda$C and $^5_\Lambda$He are presented and they show that the combined kinematical plus nonlocal corrections have an appreciable influence on the partial decay rates. However, this is somewhat diminished in the main decay observables: the total nonmesonic rate, the neutron-to-proton branching ratio, and the asymmetry parameter. The latter two still cannot be reconciled with the available experimental data. The existing theoretical predictions for the sign of the asymmetry parameter in $^5_\Lambda$He are confirmed.Comment: 36 pages; LaTeX2e; 1 eps figure. Changes: 2 more tables and 14 new references added; effects on asymmetry parameter calculated; discussions expanded; more definite conclusions reache

Nonmesonic Weak Decay of Λ\Lambda Hypernuclei within a Nuclear Matter Formalism

The nonmesonic weak decay of $\Lambda$ hypernuclei using nonrelativistic nuclear matter is studied. As the basic building block we use the Polarization Propagator Method developed by Oset and Salcedo. It is shown that the exact calculation of exchange terms is required. Using the Local Density Approximation we evaluate the nonmesonic decay width for $^{12}_{\Lambda}C$ and compare the result with a finite nucleus calculation, obtaining a qualitative agreement.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figure

Meson exchange in the weak decay of Lambda hypernuclei and the Gamma_n/Gamma_p ratio

We take an approach to the Lambda non-mesonic weak decay in nuclei based on the exchange of mesons. The one pion and one kaon exchange are considered, together with the exchange of two pions, either correlated, leading to an important scalar-isoscalar exchange (sigma-like exchange), or uncorrelated (box diagrams). Extra effects of omega exchange in the scalar-isoscalar channel are also considered. Constraints of chiral dynamics are used to generate these exchanges. A drastic reduction of the OPE results for the Gamma_n/Gamma_p ratio is obtained and the new results are compatible with all present experiments within errors. The absolute rates obtained for different nuclei are also in good agreement with experiment.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables, to be published in Nucl. Phys.