The formation of, and the γ-radiation from, the p-shell hypernuclei

The physical factors relevant for the production of various low-lying Λ-hypernuclear states _Λ^AZ^* through the K^- → π^- and K^- → π⁰ reactions, in flight or from rest, on the corresponding target nuclei ^AZ and ^A(Z + 1) are discussed, on the basis of the shell model for these nuclei and hypernuclei, together with the characteristics of the dominant γ-transitions resulting from the excited states thus produced. Detailed consideration is given for a number of hypernuclei of specific interest, including the cases of _Λ⁷He, _ΛLi for A = 7, 9 and 10, _ΛBe for A = 9 and 10, _ΛB for A = 10, 11, and 12, _ΛC for A = 12, 13, 14, and 15, _ΛN for A = 14 and 15, and _Λ¹⁶O. The importance of (γ, π^-) correlation studies for the determination of hypernuclear spin values is stressed, with the discussion of several examples.