According to the CPT theorem, which states that the combined operation of charge conjugation, parity transformation and time reversal must be conserved, particles and their antiparticles should have the same mass and lifetime but opposite charge and magnetic moment. Here, we test CPT symmetry in a nucleus containing a strange quark, more specifically in the hypertriton. This hypernucleus is the lightest one yet discovered and consists of a proton, a neutron, and a $\Lambda$ hyperon. With data recorded by the STAR detector{\cite{TPC,HFT,TOF}} at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, we measure the $\Lambda$ hyperon binding energy $B_{\Lambda}$ for the hypertriton, and find that it differs from the widely used value{\cite{B_1973}} and from predictions{\cite{2019_weak, 1995_weak, 2002_weak, 2014_weak}}, where the hypertriton is treated as a weakly bound system. Our results place stringent constraints on the hyperon-nucleon interaction{\cite{Hammer2002, STAR-antiH3L}}, and have implications for understanding neutron star interiors, where strange matter may be present{\cite{Chatterjee2016}}. A precise comparison of the masses of the hypertriton and the antihypertriton allows us to test CPT symmetry in a nucleus with strangeness for the first time, and we observe no deviation from the expected exact symmetry.
Measurements of relative mass-to-charge ratio differences between nuclei and antinuclei (d and antid)
Measurements of relative mass-to-charge ratio differences between nuclei and antinuclei (He and antiHe)
Measurements of relative mass-to-charge ratio differences between nuclei and antinuclei (hypertriton and antihypertriton)
We report a new measurement of $D^0$-meson production at mid-rapidity ($|y|$\,$<$\,1) in Au+Au collisions at ${\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = \rm{200\,GeV}}$ utilizing the Heavy Flavor Tracker, a high resolution silicon detector at the STAR experiment. Invariant yields of $D^0$-mesons with transverse momentum $p_{T}$ $\lesssim 9$\,GeV/$c$ are reported in various centrality bins (0--10\%, 10--20\%, 20--40\%, 40--60\% and 60--80\%). Blast-Wave thermal models are used to fit the $D^0$-meson $p_{T}$ spectra to study $D^0$ hadron kinetic freeze-out properties. The average radial flow velocity extracted from the fit is considerably smaller than that of light hadrons ($\pi,K$ and $p$), but comparable to that of hadrons containing multiple strange quarks ($\phi,\Xi^-$), indicating that $D^0$ mesons kinetically decouple from the system earlier than light hadrons. The calculated $D^0$ nuclear modification factors re-affirm that charm quarks suffer large amount of energy loss in the medium, similar to those of light quarks for $p_{T}$\,$>$\,4\,GeV/$c$ in central 0--10\% Au+Au collisions. At low $p_{T}$, the nuclear modification factors show a characteristic structure qualitatively consistent with the expectation from model predictions that charm quarks gain sizable collective motion during the medium evolution. The improved measurements are expected to offer new constraints to model calculations and help gain further insights into the hot and dense medium created in these collisions.
$D^0$ (in terms of (D0 +D0)/2)) invariant yield at mid-rapidity ($|y| < 1$) vs transverse momentum for different centrality classes. Error bars indicate statistical uncertainties and brackets depict systematic uncertainties. Global systematic uncertainties in B.R. are not plotted. Solid and dashed lines depict Levy function fits.
$D^0$ (in terms of (D0 +D0)/2)) spectra in pp collisions. Note, the $\sigma_{NSD}$ = 30 $m$b for p+p was used in the calculations.
Integrated $D^0$ cross section per nucleon-nucleon collision at mid-rapidity for $p_T >0$ (a) and $p_T >4$ GeV/c (b) as a function of centrality $N_{part}$. The statistical and systematic uncertainties are shown as error bars and brackets on the data points. The green boxes on the data points depict the overall normalization uncertainties in p+p and Au+Au data respectively.
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