Hyperon–nucleon interaction within chiral effective field theory revisited
The $$\varLambda N$$ Λ N and $$\varSigma N$$ Σ N interactions are considered at next-to-leading order in SU(3) chiral effective field theory. Different options for the low-energy constants that determine the strength of the contact interactions are explored. Two variants are analysed in detail which yield equivalent results for $$\varLambda N$$ Λ N and $$\varSigma N$$ Σ N scattering observables but differ in the strength of the $$\varLambda N \rightarrow \varSigma N$$ Λ N → Σ N transition potential. The influence of this difference on predictions for light hypernuclei and on the properties of the $$\varLambda $$ Λ and $$\varSigma $$ Σ hyperons in nuclear matter is investigated and discussed. The effect of the variation in the potential strength of the $$\varLambda N$$ Λ N - $$\varSigma N$$ Σ N coupling (also called $$\varLambda -\varSigma $$ Λ - Σ conversion) is found to be moderate for the considered $$^3_\varLambda {{\mathrm{H}}}$$ Λ 3 H and $$^4_\varLambda \mathrm{He}$$ Λ 4 He hypernuclei but sizable in case of the matter properties. Further, the size of three-body forces and their relation to different approaches to hypernuclear interactions is discussed.