We study eta meson properties in the infinite nuclear matter and in atomic nuclei with an emphasis on effects of the eta coupling to N*(1535)--nucleon-hole modes. The N*(1535) resonance, which dominates the low-energy eta-nucleon scattering, can be seen as a chiral partner of the nucleon. The change of the chiral mass gap between the N* and the nucleon in a nuclear medium has an impact on the properties of the eta-nucleus system. If the N*-nucleon mass gap decreases with a density increase (chiral symmetry restoration) the calculations show the existence of the resonance state at the energy about 60 MeV and two bound eta-nucleus states with the binding energies about -80 MeV. These states can have strong effect on predicted cross sections of the ^12C (gamma,p) ^11B reaction with eta-meson production.
The nuclear states of \bar K and ηare bound by a similar mechanism - the excitations of nucleons to Λ(1405) and N*(1535) resonant states. The observed large differences in binding energies are understood in terms of separation of the involved energies and the resonance positions. The other experimental findings: broad \bar K-mesic and narrow η-mesic states are more difficult to understand. A phenomenological model for η-N interactions is used to explain the suppression of the ηabsorption in light nuclei.
We extend the method of time delay proposed by Eisenbud and Wigner, to search for unstable states formed by eta mesons and the 3He nucleus. Using few body equations to describe eta-3He elastic scattering, we predict resonances and unstable bound states within different models of the eta-N interaction. The eta-3He states predicted within this novel approach are in agreement with the recent claim of the evidence of eta-mesic 3He made by the TAPS collaboration.
Eta-mesic nucleus or the quasibound nuclear state of an eta ($η$) meson in a nucleus is caused by strong-interaction force alone. This new type of nuclear species, which extends the landscape of nuclear physics, has been extensively studied since its prediction in 1986. In this paper, we review and analyze in great detail the models of the fundamental $η$--nucleon interaction leading to the formation of an $η$--mesic nucleus, the methods used in calculating the properties of a bound $η$, and the approaches employed in the interpretation of the pertinent experimental data. In view of the succes…
Using the Green function method, binding effects on produced eta-mesons in the two-stage reaction γ+ A \to N + η+ (A-1) \to N + (πN) + (A-2) are studied. The energy spectrum of the correlated pi-N pairs which arise from decays of etas inside the nucleus is strongly affected by an attractive eta-nucleus optical potential. Its resonant behavior gives a clear signal of formating intermediate eta-mesic nuclei.
With the eta-nucleon (eta N) interaction Lagrangian deduced from chiral perturbation theory, we study the possible eta-mesic nuclei in the framework of relativistic mean-field theory. The eta single-particle energies are sensitive to the eta N scattering length, and increase monotonically with the nucleon number A. If the scattering length is in the range of a^{eta N}=0.75-1.05 fm and the imaginary potential V_{0}-15 MeV, some discrete states of C, O and Ne eta bound states should be identified in experiments. However, when the scattering length a^{eta N}< 0.5 fm, or the imaginary potential V_…
The structure of eta-nucleus bound systems (eta mesic nuclei) is investigated as one of the tools to study in-medium properties of the N(1535) (N*) resonance. We show that, as a general consequence, the eta-nucleus potential has a repulsive core at the nuclear center with an attractive part at the nuclear surface, if sufficient reduction of the mass difference of N and N* stems from the in-medium effects to N*. The (d,3He) spectra are evaluated for the formation of these bound states to investigate the experimental feasibility.
A microscopic treatment of eta-nucleus system is presented. Using this, the poles of the amplitude describing elastic scattering of eta-meson off the light nuclei ^2H, ^3H, ^3He, and ^4He have been located in the second quadrant of the complex plane of the eta-nucleus relative momentum. The results obtained indicate that, within the existing uncertainties in the eta-Nucleon input data, a bound state could exist. By a qualitative consideration it is shown that such bound-states, cannot be narrow. It is further shown that scattering length calculations cannot provide a definite answer on the que…
The experimental data of the COSY-GEM Collaboration for the recoil-free transfer reaction p (27Al, 3He) π- p' X, leading to the formation of bound state of eta (η) meson in 25Mg nucleus, is reanalyzed in this paper. In particular, predicted values of binding energy and half-width of the η-mesic nucleus 25Mgη, given by different theoretical approaches, are compared with the ones obtained from the experimental missing mass spectrum. It is found that the spectrum can be explained reasonably well if interference effect of another process, where ηis not bound in 25Mg but is scattered by the nucleus…
Formation of eta-mesic nucleus, a bound state of an eta meson in a nucleus, is reviewed in this paper. Three different theoretical approaches are used to calculate the binding energies and widths of such nuclei. The effect of eta-mesic nucleus in pion double-charge-exchange reaction is discussed. Experimental efforts by different groups to detect the nucleus are also discussed. The ramifications of the theoretical and experimental studies of the bound state of eta in a nucleus are pointed out.
We calculate formation spectra of eta-nucleus systems in (pi,N) reactions with nuclear targets, which can be performed at existing and/or forthcoming facilities, including J-PARC, in order to investigate eta-nucleus interactions. Based on the N^*(1535) dominance in the eta N system, eta-mesic nuclei are suitable systems for study of in-medium properties of the N^*(1535) baryon resonance, such as reduction of the mass difference of N and N^* in nuclear medium, which affects level structure of the eta and N^*-hole modes. We find that clear information on the in-medium N^*- and eta-nucleus intera…
We demonstrate that the binding energies and widths of eta-mesic nuclei depend strongly on subthreshold eta-N interaction. This strong dependence is made evident from comparing three different eta-nucleus optical potentials: (1) a microscopic optical potential taking into account the full effects of off-shell eta-nucleon interactions; (2) a factorization approximation to the microscopic optical potential where a downward energy shift parameter is introduced to approximate the subthreshold eta-nucleon interaction; and (3) an optical potential using on-shell eta-nucleon scattering length as the …
We discuss the role of QCD symmetries and confinement in understanding eta and etaprime mesic nuclei. Eta and etaprime bound states in nuclei are sensitive to the flavour-singlet component in the meson. The bigger the singlet component, the more attraction and the greater the binding. Recent results on the etaprime mass in nuclei from the CBELSA/TAPS collaboration are very similar to the prediction of the Quark Meson Coupling model. In the model eta-etaprime mixing induces a factor of two enhancement of the eta-nucleon scattering length relative to the prediction with a pure octet eta, with re…
Even if the theoretical definition of an unstable state is straightforward, its experimental identification often depends on the method used in the analysis and extraction of data. A good example is the case of eta mesic nuclei where strong hints of their existence led to about three decades of extensive theoretical and experimental searches. Considering the still undecided status of these states and the limitations in the understanding of the eta-nucleon as well as the eta-nucleus interaction, the present article tries to look back at some unresolved problems in the production mechanism and f…
A novel method is proposed to measure eta'(958) meson bound states in 11C nuclei by missing mass spectroscopy of the 12C(p,d) reaction near the eta' production threshold. It is shown that peak structures will be observed experimentally in an inclusive measurement in case that the in-medium eta' mass reduction is sufficiently large and that the decay width of eta' mesic states is narrow enough. Such a measurement will be feasible with the intense proton beam supplied by the SIS synchrotron at GSI combined with the good energy resolution of the fragment separator FRS.
We calculate theoretically the formation spectra of eta'(958)-nucleus systems in the (p,d) reaction for the investigation of the in-medium modification of the eta' mass. We show the comprehensive numerical calculations based on a simple form of the eta' optical potential in nuclei with various potential depths. We conclude that one finds an evidence of possible attractive interaction between eta' and nucleus as peak structure appearing around the eta' threshold in light nuclei such as 11C when the attractive potential is stronger than 100 MeV and the absorption width is of order of 40 MeV or l…
In this contribution we report on theoretical studies of $η$ nuclear quasi-bound states in few- and many-body systems performed recently by the Jerusalem-Prague Collaboration [1-5]. Underlying energy-dependent $ηN$ interactions are derived from coupled-channel models that incorporate the $N^*(1535)$ resonance. The role of self-consistent treatment of the strong energy dependence of subthreshold $ηN$ amplitudes is discussed. Quite large downward energy shift together with rapid decrease of the $ηN$ amplitudes below threshold result in relatively small binding energies and widths of the calculat…
Using the quark-meson coupling (QMC) model, we investigate whether $ω, η, η'$ and $D^-$ mesons form meson-nucleus bound states. Our results suggest that one should expect to find $η$- and $ω$-nucleus bound states in all the nuclei considered. Furthermore, it is shown that the $D^-$ meson will form quite narrow bound states with $^{208}$Pb.
The missing-mass spectrum obtained in a recoil-free transfer reaction p($^{27}$Al,$^{3}$He)$π^{-}$p'X is analyzed. We find that the observed peak structure arises from the coherent contributions from two reaction processes in the energy region corresponding to a bound eta ($η$) meson. In one of the processes the intermediate $η$ is captured by the nucleus to form the $η$-mesic nucleus $^{25}$Mg$_η$. In the other process, the $η$ does not form $η$-nucleus bound state. The interference between these two processes has caused the peak of the spectrum to appear at an $η$ binding energy stronger tha…
In this paper the search for eta-mesic nuclei with particular focus on light $η$-He bound states is reviewed. A brief description of recent theoretical studies and experimental results is presented.
The structure of eta-nucleus bound systems (eta mesic nuclei) is investigated as one of the tools to study in-medium properties of the N(1535) (N^*) resonance by using the chiral doublet model to incorporate the medium effects of the N^* resonance in a chiral symmetric way. We find that the shape and the depth of the eta-nucleus optical potential are strongly affected by the in-medium properties of the N^* and the nucleon. Especially, as a general feature of the potential, the existence of a repulsive core of the eta-nucleus potential at the nuclear center with an attractive part at the nuclea…
Using the quark-meson coupling (QMC) model, we investigate theoretically whether $η$ and $ω$ mesons form meson-nucleus bound states. We study several nuclei from $^{6}$He to $^{208}$Pb, including those which are the final nuclei in the proposed experiment at GSI. Results for the $ω$ are compared with those of the Walecka model. Our results suggest that one should expect to find $η$- and $ω$-nucleus bound states in all these nuclei. Furthermore, we investigate the possibility of charmed mesic nuclei. It is shown that the $D^-$ meson will inevitably form narrow bound states with $^{208}$Pb.
We have investigated the 6Li(gamma,d) reaction theoretically for the formation of the eta'(958) mesic nucleus close to the recoilless kinematics. We have developed the theoretical formula and reported the quantitative results of the formation spectra for various cases in this article. We have found that the formation cross sections are reduced by the effects of the fragile deuteron form factor.
The structure and the energy spectrum of the $η^{\prime}$ mesonic nuclei are investigated in a relativistic mean field theory. One expects a substantial attraction for the $η^{\prime}$ meson in finite nuclei due to the partial restoration of chiral symmetry in the nuclear medium. Such a hadronic scale interaction for the $η^{\prime}$ mesonic nuclei may provide modification of the nuclear structure. The relativistic mean field theory is a self-contained model for finite nuclei which provides the saturation property within the model, and is good to investigate the structure change of the nucleus…
We have investigated the 6Li(gamma, d) reaction theoretically for the formation of the eta'(958) mesic nucleus. We have reported the numerical results in this article.
The properties of eta-nucleus interaction and their experimental consequences are investigated with eta-nucleus optical potentials obtained by postulating the N*(1535) dominance for eta-N system. The N*(1535) properties in nuclear medium are evaluated by two kinds of chiral effective models based on distinct pictures of N*(1535). We find that these two models provide qualitatively different optical potentials of the eta meson, reflecting the in-medium properties of N*(1535) in these models. In order to compare these models in physical observables, we calculate spectra of (d,3He) reactions for …
The pp -> pp eta' reaction is investigated within a relativistic meson-exchange model of hadronic interactions. We explore the role of nucleonic and mesonic, as well as the N* resonance currents, in producing eta' mesons. In order to learn more about the production mechanisms, new measurements in the energy region far from the threshold are required.
A model for the p d --> p d eta reaction published earlier, including the final state interaction (FSI) of all particles, is revisited to investigate the low energy data on this reaction. The three body problem of p-d-eta scattering in the final state is approximated in terms of pairwise interactions between the three particles in the final state. Apart from a comparison with some preliminary data, two new findings relevant to the near threshold data analysis are reported. The first one points toward the limitations of an FSI factor used conventionally to extract the eta-deuteron scattering le…
We investigate colorless (mesonic) 3q-q qbar components in the nucleon and the Roper resonance N*(1440). Starting from constituent quarks and gluons we estimate the excitation of quark-antiquark pairs in a gluon exchange model with the strong coupling constant extracted from a comparison with a non-perturbative resonating group calculation of the pi, eta, rho and omega content of the nucleon. Applying the same model to the Roper resonance, we find as the most striking result a very strong scalar-isoscalar sigma content of the N*(1440) with a strength of the 3q-q qbar configurations comparable …
Back in the mid eighties, a new branch of investigation which was related to the interaction of eta mesons with nuclei came into existence. It started with the theoretical prediction of possible exotic states of eta mesons and nuclei bound by the strong interaction and later developed into an extensive experimental program to search for such unstable states as well as understand the underlying interaction via eta meson producing reactions. The vast literature of experimental as well as theoretical works which studied various aspects of eta producing reactions such as the $π^+$ $n$ $\to ηp$, $p…
Due to its dominance in the low energy eta-nucleon interaction, the S11 N$^*$(1535) resonance enters as an important ingredient in the analyses of experiments aimed at finding evidence for the existence of eta-mesic nuclei. The static properties of the resonance get modified inside the nucleus and its momentum distribution is used in deciding these properties as well as the kinematics in the analyses. Here we show that given the possibility for the existence of an N$^*$-$^3$He quasibound state, the relative momentum distribution of an N$^*$ and $^3$He inside such a $^4$He is narrower than that…
The η-meson collision with light nuclei, ^2H, ^3H, ^3He, and ^4He, is considered on the basis of a microscopic approach which utilises Faddeev type and Lippmann-Schwinger equations. The nuclear hamiltonian is approximated by the finite rank approximation which amounts to the coherent approximation. The η-nucleus scattering length and the resonance and bound--state poles of the amplitude describing elastic scattering of η-meson by these nuclei are obtained. For each of the nuclei considered, the minimal factor enhancing the ηN--attraction that moves the poles to the quasi--bound state area of t…
We compare two different frameworks which have been proposed to include the eta' in chiral perturbation theory. The equivalence of these two approaches is shown both for the purely mesonic case and in the presence of the ground state baryon octet. The relation between the different sets of parameters in both Lagrangians is clarified.
The connection of the binding energy and width of possible bound eta-mesic states is given to the complex scattering length for s-states in the hope that, with knowledge of the final state interaction this could be useful in searches of these states. In spite of the strong direct potential dependence of both observables this connection is seen to be very model independent even for various nuclei once the influence of also the effective range is considered. The importance of this term is pointed also for data analyses. Although the nucleus considered here is 12C, extension to other nuclei is im…
The effective action of the linear meson model generates the mesonic n-point functions with all quantum effects included. Based on chiral symmetry and a systematic quark mass expansion we derive relations between meson masses and decay constants. The model ``predicts'' values for f_eta and f_eta' which are compatible with observation. This involves a large momentum dependent eta-eta' mixing angle which is different for the on--shell decays of the eta and the eta'. We also present relations for the masses of the 0^{++} octet. The parameters of the linear meson model are computed and related to …
The recent high-precision data for the reaction $γp\to pη'$ at photon energies in the range 1.5--2.3 GeV obtained by the CLAS collaboration at the Jefferson Laboratory have been analyzed within an extended version of the photoproduction model developed previously by the authors based on a relativistic meson-exchange model of hadronic interactions [Phys. Rev. C \textbf{69}, 065212 (2004)]. The $η'$ photoproduction can be described quite well over the entire energy range of available data by considering $S_{11}$, $P_{11}$, $P_{13}$, and $D_{13}$ resonances, in addition to the $t$-channel mesonic…
In this work we evaluate the B-meson drag and diffusion coefficients in a hot medium constituted of light mesons (pions, kaons and eta mesons). We treat the B-meson and B*-meson interaction with pseudo-Goldstone bosons in chiral perturbation theory at next-to-leading order within the constraints from heavy quark symmetry, and employ standard unitarization techniques of NLO amplitudes in order to account for dynamically generated resonances (leading to a more efficient heavy-flavor diffusion) and thus reach higher temperatures. We estimate individual meson contributions from the gas to the tran…
The $η$-meson production in photon- and hadron-induced reactions, namely, $γp \to p η$, $π^- p \to n η$, $pp \to ppη$, and $pn \to pnη$, are investigated in a combined analysis in order to learn about the relevant production mechanisms and the possible role of nucleon resonances in these reactions. We consider the nucleonic, mesonic, and nucleon resonance currents constructed within an effective Lagrangian approach and compare the results with the available data for cross sections and spin asymmetries for these reactions. We found that the reaction $γp \to p η$ could be described well with the…
An exposition is made of recent developments using techniques of unitary chiral perturbation theory, $U χP T$, which allows one to extend predictions using chiral Lagrangians to higher energies than ordinary chiral perturbation theory, including the region of low lying mesonic and baryonic resonances, some of which are dynamically generated in the approach. Results for meson meson scattering, pion and kaon form factors and meson baryon scattering are shown. Applications are done for nuclear problems showing the results for the kaon and eta selfenergies, phi renormalization in a nuclear medium …
Recent theoretical developments of hadrons in nuclei are briefly reviewed in the aspect of chiral symmetry in nuclei. We show a general sum rule connecting in-medium hadronic quantities and quark condensate, emphasizing that both pionic mode and particle-hole excitations in the nuclear medium are responsible for reduction of the chiral condensate in nuclear matter. We also discuss that few-body nuclear systems with kaons are good objects to investigate basic features of kaon-nucleus interactions, showing recent understandings of the structure of Lambda(1405) and possible bound states of KbarNN…
