Pion-induced production of $\Lambda(1520)$ hyperons on nuclei near threshold

Abstract

We study the pion-induced inclusive $\Lambda(1520)$ hyperon production from nuclei near threshold within a nuclear spectral function approach accounting for incoherent primary $\pi^-$ meson--proton ${\pi^-}p \to K^0\Lambda(1520)$ production processes. We calculate the absolute differential and total cross sections for the production of $\Lambda(1520)$ hyperons off carbon and tungsten nuclei at laboratory angles of 0$^{\circ}$--10$^{\circ}$, 10$^{\circ}$--45$^{\circ}$ and 45$^{\circ}$--85$^{\circ}$ by $\pi^-$ mesons with momentum of 1.7 GeV/c as well as their relative (transparency ratio) differential and integral yields from these nuclei within four scenarios for their total in-medium width. We demonstrate that these absolute observables, contrary to the relative ones, reveal some sensitivity to the $\Lambda(1520)$ in-medium width. Therefore, their measurement in a dedicated experiment at the GSI pion beam facility will allow to shed light on this width.