Hypernuclear production in the $(K^−, π^−)$ reaction

Abstract Cross sections for the production of hypernuclei were measured in the reaction A(K − , π − ) Λ A. on light and heavy nuclear targets, using a separated K − beam at the CERN Proton Synchrotron. The pions were detected in the forward direction. The results are compared with cross sections calculated under the assumption that the reaction took place on a single neutron. The good agreement between the measured and the calculated cross sections justifies the use of the (K − , π − ) reaction in order to obtain spectroscopic information on hypernuclei.