Eur. Phys. J. A (2015) 51: 20
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2015-15020-5

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Dynamics of kaonic nuclei in an improved quark mass density-dependent model

¹ Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
² Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201800, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
³ Departamento de Ciências Básicas e Ambientais, Universidade de São Paulo, 12602-810, SP, Brazil
⁴ Center of Theoretical Nuclear Physics, National Laboratory of Heavy-Ion Accelerator, 730000, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
⁵ Joint Center of Nuclear Science and Technology, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China

^* e-mail: xurenli.phy@gmail.com

Received: 22 October 2014
Revised: 14 January 2015
Accepted: 5 February 2015
Published online: 26 February 2015

Abstract

The improved quark mass density-dependent model, which is able to provide a good description for the properties of both finite nuclei and bulk nuclear matter, is employed to investigate the properties of several possible light kaonic nuclei. The current approach is based on an extended version of the relativistic mean-field theory, where the kaon-nucleon and nucleon-nucleon interactions are treated on the same footing. In this work, the single K^--nuclear states in the possible bubble nuclei are studied, with concentration on the experimentally accessible light nuclei. The K^- binding energies, the decay widths, single-particle spectra, and nuclear and K^- density distributions are evaluated. The calculations indicate that, when the K^- meson is embedded in nuclei with speculated “bubble" structure, the depleted central nuclear density might be modified, and in certain cases, the bubble structure may even disappear. Furthermore, it is found that the properties of the kaonic nuclei are sensitive to the strength of the antikaon optical potential at saturation density.