Speaker
Description
The interactions between Λ hyperons and nucleons are of crucial importance for understanding the composition of the inner core of neutron stars. The equation of state for these dense objects requires accurate knowledge of two- and three-body interactions at short distances, which remain poorly constrained by existing experimental data. ALICE has introduced a novel approach for probing these interactions by measuring femtoscopic correlation functions of particles emitted at distances of 1–2 fm in high-energy pp collisions. This technique enables the study of various hadron–nucleus pairs and provides, for the first time, direct access to the 3 → 3 free scattering process.
In this talk, ALICE measurements of p–d, p–p–p, and p–p–Λ correlation functions in proton-proton
collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13.6 TeV, obtained using three-body software triggers, will be presented. These results offer a fifteenfold increase in the statistical sample compared to Run 2. Additionally, the corresponding first-ever measurement of Λ–d pairs in proton-proton collisions will be showcased. The measured correlation functions will be compared with theoretical predictions, highlighting their sensitivity to the dynamics of three-body systems.
| Category | Experiment |
|---|---|
| Collaboration (if applicable) | ALICE |
