η-nuclei in the SCAN experiment

Abstract

η-mesic nucleus or the quasibound nuclear state of an η-meson in a nucleus is caused by the strong-interaction force alone. The project SCAN2 is aimed at searching and studying the η-meson nuclei production. The experiment is based on two-arms spectrometer using internal target at the Nuclotron. The setup was designed to study products from η-meson nucleus decay in the reaction d + 12C → (A)η + X → π + p + (A – 2) at deuteron energies from 0:5 to 2:5 GeV/nucl. The energy spectrum of secondary protons has been measured. The dependence of the yields of protons and pions on the beam energy has been obtained. This dependence can show us the minimum energy for the S 11 resonance formation. The first prototype of the neutron detector, which will be used in a new modified experimental setup SCAN3 for recording of neutrons from η-nucleus decays in the πn and pn channels, has been tested. The time-offlight method to obtain the neutron spectrum was used. The time resolution and efficiency of the neutron detector have been obtained.