The identified ΛΛ-hypernuclei and the predicted H-particle

Abstract

The existence of the H particle, the dihyperon predicted by Jaffe, would bring into question the existence of double hypernuclei. We review the two double hypernucleus events published in the literature. We include an independent report, hitherto unpublished, which was made on the ΛΛ10Be event in 1963 and clarifies the salient features of the event; this report reaffirms its published interpretation. We have made a simple calculation of the energy spectrum for Ξ- hyperons produced with K- beams in past emulsion experiments, with a result which accounts adequately for the paucity of reported double hypernucleus events. We outline a hybrid emulsion experiment that would locate Ξ- hyperon interactions efficiently and could thereby greatly improve our knowledge of double hypernuclei.