Heavy baryons

Abstract

We review the experimental and theoretical status of baryons containing one heavy quark. The charm and bottom baryon states are classified and their mass spectra are listed. The appropriate theoretical framework for the description of heavy baryons is the Heavy Quark Effective Theory, whose general ideas and methods are introduced and illustrated in specific examples. We present simple covariant expressions for the spin wave functions of heavy baryons including p--wave baryons. The covariant spin wave functions are used to determine the Heavy Quark Symmetry structure of flavour--changing current--induced transitions between heavy baryons as well as one--pion and one--photon transitions between heavy baryons of the same flavour. We discuss $1/m_Q$ corrections to the current--induced transitions as well as the structure of heavy to light baryon transitions. Whenever possible we attempt to present numbers to compare with experiment by making use of further model--dependent assumptions as e.g. the constituent picture for light quarks. We highlight recent advances in the theoretical understanding of the inclusive decays of hadrons containing one heavy quark including polarization. For exclusive semileptonic decays we discuss rates, angular decay distributions and polarization effects. We provide an update of the experimental and theoretical status of lifetimes of heavy baryons and of exclusive nonleptonic two body decays of charm baryons.