Chiral SU(3) Dynamics and Antikaon-Nuclear Quasibound States

Recent developments are summarised concerning low-energy K̄N interactions as they relate to the possible existence of antikaon-nuclear quasibound states. An exploratory study of antikaons bound to finite nuclei is performed, with emphasis on the evolution of such states from light to heavy nuclei (A = 16 208). The energy dependent, driving attractive K̄N interactions are constructed using the s-wave coupled-channel amplitudes involving the Λ(1405) and resulting from chiral SU(3) dynamics, plus p-wave amplitudes dominated by the Σ(1385). Effects of Pauli and short-range correlations are discussed. The decay width induced by K−NN two-body absorption is estimated and found to be substantial. It is concluded that K̄-nuclear quasibound states can possibly exist with binding energies ranging from 60 to 100 MeV, but with short life times corresponding to decay widths of the similar magnitudes.