Hypernuclear single particle spectra based on in-medium chiral image dynamics Original Research Article

A previously derived relativistic energy density functional for nuclei, based on low-energy in-medium chiral dynamics, is generalized to implement constraints from chiral SU(3) effective field theory and applied to Λ hypernuclei. Density-dependent central and spin–orbit mean fields are calculated for a Λ hyperon using the SU(3) extension of in-medium chiral perturbation theory to two-loop order. Long range ΛN interactions arise from kaon-exchange and from two-pion-exchange with a Σ hyperon in the intermediate state. Short-distance dynamics is encoded in contact interactions. They include scalar and vector mean fields reflecting in-medium changes of quark condensates, constrained by QCD sum rules. The Λ single particle orbitals are computed for a series of hypernuclei from 13ΛC to 208ΛPb. The role of a surface (derivative) term is studied. Its strength is found to be compatible with a corresponding estimate from in-medium chiral perturbation theory. Very good agreement with hypernuclear spectroscopic data is achieved. The smallness of the Λ-nuclear spin–orbit interaction finds a natural explanation in terms of an almost complete cancellation between short-range scalar/vector contributions and longer range terms generated by two-pion exchange.