Strange nuclear physics from QCD on lattice

• Main Author: Inoue, Takashi
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Baryons; Computer simulation; Hadrons; Hyperons; Nuclear matter; Nuclear physics; Quantum chromodynamics; Strong interactions (field theory)
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/1.5118370

We studied the single-particle potential of Λ, Σ, and Ξ hyperons in nucleonic matter starting from the fundamental theory of the strong interaction, QCD. First, we carried out a lattice QCD numerical simulation, and extracted baryon-baryon interactions from QCD by means of the HAL QCD method. We employed a full QCD gauge configuration ensemble at an almost physical point in order to study the physical world; hence, the masses of the hadrons in our lattice QCD simulation are nearly physical. For example, the pion mass was 146 MeV, the kaon mass was 525 MeV, and the nucleon mass was 958 MeV. Then, we applied the resulting hyperon interactions to the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock many-nucleon theory, and calculated the single-particle potential of hyperons in nucleonic matter UY (k). For the hyperons stopping in the symmetric nuclear matter at the normal nuclear matter density, we obtained UΛ(0) = −28 MeV, UΣ(0) = +15 MeV, and UΞ(0) = −4 MeV, with a statistical error approximately ±2 MeV associated with our Monte Carlo simulation. These results are qualitatively compatible with the values suggested by hypernuclear experiments. This success is remarkable and very encouraging since this proves that our approach to strange nuclear physics starting from QCD is essentially correct.