Strange Baryon Production in Heavy Ion Collisions

Abstract

The rapidity distribution of $Λ$ and $\barΛ$ produced in nucleus-nucleus collisions at CERN energies is studied in the framework of an independent string model - with quark-antiquark as well as diquark-antidiquark pairs in the nucleon sea. It is shown that, besides the $Λ$-$\barΛ$ pair production resulting from the fragmentation of sea diquarks, final state interactions of co-moving secondaries $π+ N \to K + Λ$ and $π+ \bar{N} \to K + \barΛ$ are needed in order to reproduce the data. Predictions for $Pb$-$Pb$ collisions are presented.