PROTON EMITTING LAMBDA-BOUND STATES OF O-16(LAMBDA)

An analysis of emulsion data on the K- meson capture reaction on oxyge n, K-16O --> pi(-) p(Lambda)(15)N reveals the formation of two interme diate states of the hypernucleus O-16(Lambda) which subsequently deca y by proton emission. The states are relatively broad, as expected for e-values of a few MeV, and are attributed to the 0(+) and 2(+) levels of O-16(Lambda) from the configurations [(P-1/2)(N)(-1) (P-1/2,P-3/2) (Lambda)] with it-binding energies equal to 1.54 +/- 0.09 MeV and 3.10 +/- 0.08 MeV, respectively, where B-Lambda for 15(Lambda)N is 13.59 M eV. The 2(+)-0(+) B-Lambda difference is almost independent of the pre sent statistical error (+/-0.15 MeV) on B-Lambda(N-15(Lambda)). Provid ed the state more abundantly produced is assigned to the 2(+) level, t heir relative positions and production rates agree well with the theor etical predictions, A comparison with results from counter experiments is made. The extraction of the it spin-orbit splitting from the 2(+)- 0(+) energy difference is discussed using calculations for several dif ferent Lambda N potentials. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.