Overview of Antikaon-Nuclear Quasi-Bound States

Abstract

Experimental evidence for antikaon-nuclear quasi-bound states is briefly reviewed. Theoretical and phenomenological arguments for and against the existence of such states are considered, based on constructing antikaon-nuclear optical potentials from various sources. Results of RMF calculations that provide a lower limit of Gamma(antikaon) = 50 +/- 10 MeV on the width of antikaon-nuclear quasi-bound states are discussed.Comment: Plenary talk given at FB18, Santos, Brazil, August 2006, to be published in the Proceedings, Nucl. Phys. A. Overview updated to the aftermath of HYP06 in which the experimental claims for strange tribaryons were withdraw