Spin-Orbit Coupling forΛ−He4Scattering Using a One-Boson-Exchange Model for theΛNInteraction

Abstract
The polarization and cross sections for ΛHe4 elastic scattering are calculated for Λ incident energies 1-20 MeV. A ΛHe4 potential is constructed using a phenomenological ΛN Gaussian central potential and the empirical shape for He4, and a spin-orbit potential obtained from a one-boson-exchange (OBE) model for the ΛN interaction. As indicated recently by Downs, the OBE model for ΛN forces leads to strong antisymmetric spin-orbit terms due to vector-meson exchange. This means that the ΛHe4 potential depends only on part of the ΛN spin-orbit interaction, since it results from summing the latter interaction over the nucleon spin states. Parameters from three quite different OBE calculations are used to predict the ΛHe4 scattering, and these three sets of OBE parameters lead to remarkably similar predictions concerning the cross sections and polarization properties for this energy range. However, no ΛHe4 resonances are predicted, in contrast to recent Hartree-Fock calculations of ΛHe4 scattering. The polarization effects predicted are large, and experimental data concerning them would have interesting consequences for our knowledge of the origin of spin-orbit forces in the baryon-baryon system.