Testing production scenarios for (anti-)(hyper-)nuclei with multiplicity-dependent measurements at the Lhc∗

The production of light anti- and hyper-nuclei provides unique observables to characterise the system created in high-energy proton–proton (pp), proton–nucleus (pA) and nucleus–nucleus (AA) collisions. In particular, nuclei and hyper-nuclei are special objects with respect to non-composite hadrons (such as pions, kaons, protons, etc.), because their size is comparable to a fraction or the whole system created in the collision. Their formation is typically described within the framework of coalescence and thermal-statistical production models. In order to distinguish between the two production scenarios, we propose to measure the coalescence parameter BA for different anti- and hyper-nuclei (that differ by mass, size and internal wave function) as a function of the size of the particle emitting source. The latter can be controlled by performing systematic measurements of light anti- and hyper-nuclei in different collision systems (pp, pA, AA) and as a function of the multiplicity of particles created in the collision. While it is often argued that the coalescence and the thermal model approach give very similar predictions for the production of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions, our study shows that large differences can be expected for hyper-nuclei with extended wave functions, as the hyper-triton. We compare the model predictions with data from the ALICE experiment and we discuss perspectives for future measurements with the upgraded detectors during the High-Luminosity LHC phase in the next decade.