Hypernucleus

<p>A hypernucleus is similar to a conventional <a href="/facts/Atomic_nucleus/orpIm5Xl">atomic nucleus</a>, but contains at least one <a href="/facts/Hyperon/9B37rDYq">hyperon</a> in addition to the normal <a href="/facts/Proton/clCjepXP">protons</a> and <a href="/facts/Neutron/oRCM1geb">neutrons</a>. Hyperons are a category of <a href="/facts/Baryon/QFwAUWK2">baryon</a> particles that carry non-zero <a href="/facts/Strangeness/T1kLPfQU">strangeness</a> quantum number, which is conserved by the <a href="/facts/Strong_interaction/JjRsKcLg">strong</a> and <a href="/facts/Electromagnetic_interaction/oAkmALHT">electromagnetic interactions</a>.
</p><p>A variety of reactions give access to depositing one or more units of strangeness in a nucleus. Hypernuclei containing the lightest hyperon, the <a href="/facts/Lambda_baryon/z28r0I98">lambda</a> (Λ), tend to be more tightly bound than normal nuclei, though they can decay via the weak force with a mean lifetime of around 200 <a href="/facts/Picosecond/62W8DK3Q">ps</a>. <a href="/facts/Sigma_baryon/ETeyRRWp">Sigma</a> (Σ) hypernuclei have been sought, as have doubly-strange nuclei containing <a href="/facts/Xi_baryon/fshq9RN5">xi baryons</a> (Ξ) or two Λ's.
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Hypernucleus open-in-new

Hypernucleus