Abstract: Heavy-ion reactions and other collective dynamical processes are frequently described by different theoretical approaches for the different stages of the process, like initial equilibration stage, intermediate locally equilibrated fluid dynamical stage, and final freeze-out stage. For the last stage, the best known is the Cooper-Frye description used to generate the phase space distribution of emitted, noninteracting particles from a fluid dynamical expansion or explosion, assuming a final ideal gas distribution, or (less frequently) an out-of-equilibrium distribution. In this work we do not want to replace the Cooper-Frye description, but rather clarify the ways of using it and how to choose the parameters of the distribution and, eventually, how to choose the form of the phase space distribution used in the Cooper-Frye formula. Moreover, the Cooper-Frye formula is used in connection with the freeze-out problem, while the discussion of transition between different stages of the collision is applicable to other transitions also. More recently, hadronization and molecular dynamics models have been matched to the end of a fluid dynamical stage to describe hadronization and freeze-out. The stages of the model description can be matched to each other on space-time hypersurfaces (just like through the frequently used freeze-out hypersurface). This work presents a generalized description of how to match the stages of the description of a reaction to each other, extending the methodology used at freeze-out, in simple covariant form which is easily applicable in its simplest version for most applications.

Abstract: The hidden-charm pentaquark P-c(4450) observed recently by the LHCb collaboration may be of molecular nature, as advocated by some unitary approaches that also predict pentaquark partners in the strangeness S = -1 sector. In this work we argue that a hidden-charm strange pentaquark could be seen from the decay of the Lambda b, just as in the case of the non-strange P-c(4450), but looking into the J/psi eta Lambda decay mode and forming the invariant mass spectrum of J/psi Lambda pairs. In the model presented here, which assumes a standard weak decay topology and incorporates the hadronization process and final-state interaction effects, we find the J/psi eta Lambda final states to be populated with similar strength as the J/psi K- p states employed for the observation of the non-strange pentaquark. This makes the Lambda b -> J/psi eta Lambda decay to be an interesting process to observe a possible strange partner of the P-c(4450). We study the dependence of the J/psi Lambda mass spectra on various model ingredients and on the unknown properties of the strange pentaquark.

Abstract: We have studied the meson-baryon interaction in the neutral S = -2 sector using an extended Unitarized Chiral Perturbation Theory, which takes into account not only the leading Weinberg-Tomozawa term (as all the previous studies in S = -2 sector), but also the Born terms and next-to-leading order contribution. Based on the SU(3) symmetry of the chiral Lagrangian we took most of the model parameters from the BCN model [1], where these were fitted to a large amount of experimental data in the neutral S = -1 sector. We have shown that our approach is able to generate dynamically both Xi(1620) and Xi(1690) states in very reasonable agreement with the data, and can naturally explain the puzzle with the decay branching ratios of Xi(1690). Our results clearly illustrate the reliability of chiral models implementing unitarization in coupled channels and the importance of considering Born and NLO contributions for precise calculations.

Abstract: We study the (K-, p) reaction on nuclei with a 1 GeV/c momentum kaon beam, paying special attention to the region of emitted protons having kinetic energy above 600 MeV, which was used to claim a deeply attractive kaon nucleus optical potential. Our model describes the nuclear reaction in the framework of a local density approach and the calculations are performed following two different procedures: one is based on a many-body method using the Lindhard function and the other is based on a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation method offers flexibility to account for processes other than kaon quasielastic scattering, such as K- absorption by one and two nucleons, producing hyperons, and allows consideration of final-state interactions of the K-, the p, and all other primary and secondary particles on their way out of the nucleus, as well as the weak decay of the produced hyperons into pi N. We find a limited sensitivity of the cross section to the strength of the kaon optical potential. We also show a serious drawback in the experimental setup-the requirement for having, together with the energetic proton, at least one charged particle detected in the decay counter surrounding the target-as we find that the shape of the original cross section is appreciably distorted, to the point of invalidating the claims made in the experimental paper on the strength of the kaon nucleus optical.