We report on measurements of the inclusive production rate of Sigma+ and Sigma0 baryons in hadronic Z decays collected with the L3 detector at LEP. The Sigma+ baryons are detected through the decay Sigma+ -> p pi0, while the Sigma0 baryons are detected via the decay mode Sigma0 -> Lambda gamma. The average numbers of Sigma+ and Sigma0 per hadronic Z decay are measured to be: < N_Sigma+ > + < N_Sigma+~ > = 0.114 +/- 0.011 (stat) +/- 0.009 (syst), < N_Sigma0 > + < N_Sigma0~ > = 0.095 +/- 0.015 (stat) +/- 0.013 (syst). These rates are found to be higher than the predictions from Monte Carlo hadronization models and analytical parameterizations of strange baryon production.
Strange and multistrange baryon production is expected to be enhanced in heavy ion interactions if a phase transition from hadronic matter to a Quark-Gluon Plasma takes place. The production yields of Λ s, Λ s, Ξ − s, and Ξ + s relative to the production of negative particles are presented for sulphur-tungsten interactions at 200 GeV/ c per nucleon. These production yields are compared to those produced in proton-tungsten interactions and the enhancements of strange and multistrange baryons and antibaryons are presented.
Multi-strange baryon and anti-baryon production is expected to be a useful probe in the search for Quark-Gluon Plasma formation. We present the transverse mass distributions of negative particles, K o s, Λs, Λ s, and Ξ − s produced in sulphurtungsten interactions at 200 GeV/c per nucleon and give the corrected ratios Λ Λ, Ξ − Λ and Ξ − /Λ . We note that our ratio Ξ − / Λ appears large in comparison to that from p p interactions.
Strange baryon and in particular multi-strange baryon production is suggested to be a useful probe in the search for quark gluon plasma formation in heavy ion collisions. We have measured the (Ω − + Ω + ) (Ξ − + Ξ + ) production ratio to be 0.8±0.4 at central rapidity and ϱ T > 1.6 GeV/c.