Exploring possible $^3_{Λ_c}\text{H}$ bound states through $pΛ_c$ femtoscopic correlations

Abstract

The femtoscopic correlation technique in relativistic heavy-ion collisions provides a unique opportunity to investigate hadron-hadron interactions and possible exotic states. In this work, we study the $pΛ_c$ correlation function and its sensitivity to the low-energy $NΛ_c$ interaction related to possible $^3_{Λ_c}\mathrm{H}$ bound states. Based on the quark delocalization color screening model, three interaction scenarios with different strengths are constructed, and the corresponding spin-averaged $pΛ_c$ correlation functions are calculated within the Koonin--Pratt formalism. The results demonstrate that the correlation function is sensitive to the $pΛ_c$ interaction strength, with coupled-channel effects and $S$-$D$ wave mixing producing additional enhancements in the correlation signal. These findings suggest that future $pΛ_c$ femtoscopic measurements at relativistic heavy-ion collision experiments can provide valuable constraints on the interaction between charmed baryons and nucleons and offer guidance for exploring possible heavy-flavor hypernuclei.