Addressing the hypertriton lifetime puzzle with ALICE at the LHC

Abstract

The ALICE Collaboration collected a large data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV in 2015 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the excellent particle identification (PID) capabilities allow for the detection of rarely produced (anti-)hypernuclei. In particular, the (anti-)hypertriton, $^3_{\Lambda}$H, which is a bound state of a proton, a neutron and a $\Lambda$, is the lightest known hypernucleus. The results on the $^3_{\Lambda}$H production are compared with the predictions from a model based on coalescence approach and from statistical-thermal models to investigate the production mechanisms in heavy-ion collisions. Emphasis will also be put on the latest and more precise determination of the $^3_{\Lambda}$H lifetime.