A1 Journal article (refereed)
Exploring the Strong Interaction of Three-Body Systems at the LHC (2024)

ALICE Collaboration. (2024). Exploring the Strong Interaction of Three-Body Systems at the LHC. Physical Review X, 14(3), Article 031051. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.14.031051(external link)

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: ALICE Collaboration

Journal or series: Physical Review X

eISSN: 2160-3308

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 24/09/2024

Volume: 14

Issue number: 3

Article number: 031051

Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.14.031051(external link)

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/97989(external link)

Web address of parallel published publication (pre-print): https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.16120(external link)

Abstract

Deuterons are atomic nuclei composed of a neutron and a proton held together by the strong interaction. Unbound ensembles composed of a deuteron and a third nucleon have been investigated in the past using scattering experiments, and they constitute a fundamental reference in nuclear physics to constrain nuclear interactions and the properties of nuclei. In this work, 𝐾+−𝑑 and 𝑝−𝑑 femtoscopic correlations measured by the ALICE Collaboration in proton-proton (𝑝⁢𝑝) collisions at √𝑠=13  TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presented. It is demonstrated that correlations in momentum space between deuterons and kaons or protons allow us to study three-hadron systems at distances comparable with the proton radius. The analysis of the 𝐾+−𝑑 correlation shows that the relative distances at which deuterons and protons or kaons are produced are around 2 fm. The analysis of the 𝑝−𝑑 correlation shows that only a full three-body calculation that accounts for the internal structure of the deuteron can explain the data. In particular, the sensitivity of the observable to the short-range part of the interaction is demonstrated. These results indicate that correlations involving light nuclei in 𝑝⁢𝑝 collisions at the LHC will also provide access to any three-body system in the strange and charm sectors.

Keywords: nuclear physics

Free keywords: hadron-hadron interactions

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2024

Preliminary JUFO rating: 3