Search for a ''$ppK^{-}$'' bound state in p+p collisions

Abstract

We report, here, on the progress in our analysis of data taken with the HADES detector. As described in last year’s GSI Scientific report [1], we have reconstructed ∼20.000 pKΛ events that were produced in p+p reactions at a beam kinetic energy of 3.5 GeV. To describe the measured observables we have employed a PWA analysis [2]. In this analysis several transition amplitudes, including the production of the pKΛ final state via the decay of various N* resonances, were fitted to the events. A good description of the data was obtained and presented in [1]. We have now performed a more refined statistical analysis of the experimental event yield. The main motivation for the presented analysis is the possibility of a kaonic nuclear bound state production via: p + p → K + ”ppK−”→ p + K + Λ (1)