The WASA-FRS project at GSI and its perspective

Abstract

A novel technique to study bound states of exotic hadrons in subatomic nuclei, such as hypernuclei and mesic nuclei, has been developed by employing the Fragment Separator FRS and the WASA central detector at GSI. Two experiments, S447 for studying light hypernuclei, especially hypertriton and a Λnn bound state, and S490 for searching for η’ mesic-nuclei, were recently performed. Data analyses are currently in progress, and light charged particles such as protons and π± are clearly observed and identified in the both experiments. For S447, light nuclear fragments that can also be residual nuclei from decays of hypernuclei of interests have been analysed by the FRS, and a momentum resolution, Δp/p, of 5×10−4 has been achieved. Further data analyses are to be completed. The WASA-FRS project will be continued and extended with the FRS at FAIR Phase 0, and upgrading of the WASA magnet and detectors is currently in progress. Furthermore, construction of a larger detector system with the Super-FRS at FAIR Phase 1 is also under consideration.