First Observation of Deuteron-Λ Correlations at RHIC

STAR Collaboration

doi:10.1103/3m26-5y83

First Observation of Deuteron-Λ Correlations at RHIC

STAR Collaboration

Stony Brook University

Texas A&M University
Czech Technical University in Prague
AGH University of Krakow
Panjab University
Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre India
Kent State University
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Fudan University
Abilene Christian University
Universidad de Tarapacá
Shandong University
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Berhampur
University of California at Riverside
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati
University of Houston
University of Jammu
Stony Brook University
Czech Academy of Sciences
Ohio State University
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yale University
University of California at Davis
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Purdue University
Indiana University Bloomington
National Institute of Technology, Durgapur
Central China Normal University
Guangxi Normal University
Tsinghua University
University of California at Los Angeles
University of California at Berkeley
Eötvös Loránd University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Precise experimental information on hyperon-nucleon interactions is scarce but of paramount importance to our understanding of the inner structure of compact stars. In this Letter, we report the first experimental results of correlation functions between deuterons (d) and Λ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at √s_NN=3.0 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A clear enhancement at small relative momenta has been observed in the correlation function. Through a Bayesian inference analysis, the source size parameters as a function of collision centrality and the spin-dependent strong interaction parameters (scattering length f₀ and effective range d₀) are extracted using the Lednický-Lyuboshitz formalism. The derived doublet spin state parameters (f₀, d₀) lead to a novel method to precisely determine Λ separation energy for the weakly bounded hypertriton _Λ³H.

Original language	English
Article number	242303
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	136
Issue number	24
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/3m26-5y83
State	Published - Jun 19 2026

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10.1103/3m26-5y83

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@article{32bd3ee77d6443598b425dd1b3592a5f,

title = "First Observation of Deuteron-Λ Correlations at RHIC",

abstract = "Precise experimental information on hyperon-nucleon interactions is scarce but of paramount importance to our understanding of the inner structure of compact stars. In this Letter, we report the first experimental results of correlation functions between deuterons (d) and Λ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=3.0 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A clear enhancement at small relative momenta has been observed in the correlation function. Through a Bayesian inference analysis, the source size parameters as a function of collision centrality and the spin-dependent strong interaction parameters (scattering length f0 and effective range d0) are extracted using the Lednick{\'y}-Lyuboshitz formalism. The derived doublet spin state parameters (f0, d0) lead to a novel method to precisely determine Λ separation energy for the weakly bounded hypertriton Λ3H.",

author = "\{STAR Collaboration\} and Aboona, \{B. E.\} and J. Adam and L. Adamczyk and I. Aggarwal and Aggarwal, \{M. M.\} and Z. Ahammed and Alshammri, \{A. K.\} and Aschenauer, \{E. C.\} and S. Aslam and J. Atchison and V. Bairathi and X. Bao and P. Barik and K. Barish and S. Behera and R. Bellwied and P. Bhagat and A. Bhasin and S. Bhatta and Bhosale, \{S. R.\} and J. Bielcik and J. Bielcikova and Brandenburg, \{J. D.\} and C. Broodo and Cai, \{X. Z.\} and H. Caines and \{Calder{\'o}n De La Barca S{\'a}nchez\}, M. and D. Cebra and J. Ceska and I. Chakaberia and P. Chaloupka and Chang, \{Y. S.\} and Z. Chang and A. Chatterjee and D. Chen and Chen, \{J. H.\} and L. Chen and Q. Chen and W. Chen and Z. Chen and J. Cheng and Y. Cheng and W. Christie and X. Chu and S. Corey and Crawford, \{H. J.\} and M. Csan{\'a}d and G. Dale-Gau and A. Deshpande and R. Lacey",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 American Physical Society.",

year = "2026",

month = jun,

day = "19",

doi = "10.1103/3m26-5y83",

language = "English",

volume = "136",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

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T1 - First Observation of Deuteron-Λ Correlations at RHIC

AU - STAR Collaboration

AU - Aboona, B. E.

AU - Adam, J.

AU - Adamczyk, L.

AU - Aggarwal, I.

AU - Aggarwal, M. M.

AU - Ahammed, Z.

AU - Alshammri, A. K.

AU - Aschenauer, E. C.

AU - Aslam, S.

AU - Atchison, J.

AU - Bairathi, V.

AU - Bao, X.

AU - Barik, P.

AU - Barish, K.

AU - Behera, S.

AU - Bellwied, R.

AU - Bhagat, P.

AU - Bhasin, A.

AU - Bhatta, S.

AU - Bhosale, S. R.

AU - Bielcik, J.

AU - Bielcikova, J.

AU - Brandenburg, J. D.

AU - Broodo, C.

AU - Cai, X. Z.

AU - Caines, H.

AU - Calderón De La Barca Sánchez, M.

AU - Cebra, D.

AU - Ceska, J.

AU - Chakaberia, I.

AU - Chaloupka, P.

AU - Chang, Y. S.

AU - Chang, Z.

AU - Chatterjee, A.

AU - Chen, D.

AU - Chen, J. H.

AU - Chen, L.

AU - Chen, Q.

AU - Chen, W.

AU - Chen, Z.

AU - Cheng, J.

AU - Cheng, Y.

AU - Christie, W.

AU - Chu, X.

AU - Corey, S.

AU - Crawford, H. J.

AU - Csanád, M.

AU - Dale-Gau, G.

AU - Deshpande, A.

AU - Lacey, R.

PY - 2026/6/19

Y1 - 2026/6/19

N2 - Precise experimental information on hyperon-nucleon interactions is scarce but of paramount importance to our understanding of the inner structure of compact stars. In this Letter, we report the first experimental results of correlation functions between deuterons (d) and Λ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=3.0 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A clear enhancement at small relative momenta has been observed in the correlation function. Through a Bayesian inference analysis, the source size parameters as a function of collision centrality and the spin-dependent strong interaction parameters (scattering length f0 and effective range d0) are extracted using the Lednický-Lyuboshitz formalism. The derived doublet spin state parameters (f0, d0) lead to a novel method to precisely determine Λ separation energy for the weakly bounded hypertriton Λ3H.

AB - Precise experimental information on hyperon-nucleon interactions is scarce but of paramount importance to our understanding of the inner structure of compact stars. In this Letter, we report the first experimental results of correlation functions between deuterons (d) and Λ hyperons in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=3.0 GeV measured by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. A clear enhancement at small relative momenta has been observed in the correlation function. Through a Bayesian inference analysis, the source size parameters as a function of collision centrality and the spin-dependent strong interaction parameters (scattering length f0 and effective range d0) are extracted using the Lednický-Lyuboshitz formalism. The derived doublet spin state parameters (f0, d0) lead to a novel method to precisely determine Λ separation energy for the weakly bounded hypertriton Λ3H.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105043789160

U2 - 10.1103/3m26-5y83

DO - 10.1103/3m26-5y83

M3 - Article

C2 - 42412445

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 136

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 24

M1 - 242303

ER -

First Observation of Deuteron-Λ Correlations at RHIC

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