The $np \to \Lambda p$ reaction within a one-meson-exchange model

Abstract

With the advent of high precision proton accelerators, such as COSY in J\"ulich, or with medium energy accelerators like RCNP at Osaka, it may become possible to perform a direct study of the strangeness changing hadronic $np \to \Lambda p$ process. In this work we study this reaction using a one-meson-exchange weak potential and realistic $NN$ and $YN$ strong interactions to distort both the initial $np$ and the final $\Lambda p$ states. The calculated cross sections are very sensitive to the different mesons included in the weak transition, as well as to the strong $YN$ interaction model that generates the distorted final state.