Lambda(1520) production at SPS and RHIC energies

Abstract

The recent preliminary results from central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = $ 130 GeV from the STAR experiment at RHIC are presented and discussed along with the results on the $Λ$(1520) production in cental Pb+Pb and p+p collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 17 GeV from the NA49 experiment at the SPS. The $Λ$(1520) is measured with the invariant mass reconstruction of the decay products in the hadronic channel (K$^{-}$, p). The mean $Λ$(1520) multiplicity scaled by the number of participants decreases from p+p to Pb+Pb collisions at the same energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 17 GeV. An upper limit estimate of the multiplicity from the first measurement at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = $ 130 GeV shows the same trend. Comparisons with model predictions provides an indication of possible medium effects on the resonance and their decay daughters.

7 pages, proceedings of Strange Quarks in Matter (SQM2001), Frankfurt, Germany