A study of bound states of η, η', D⁰, D⁰, B⁰, B⁰, K⁰ and φ mesons with light and heavy nuclei within chiral SU(3) model

In the present work we explore the possibilities of the formation of bound states of neutral pseudoscalar mesons η, η', D⁰, D⁰, B⁰, B⁰ and K⁰ and the vector meson φ, with the nuclei ¹²C, ¹⁶O, ⁴⁰Ca and ²⁰⁸Pb, calculating their binding energy and absorption decay width. To calculate the optical potentials of these mesons in different nuclei under study, we shall use the chiral SU(3) hadronic mean field model, in which the properties of nucleons in the medium are modified through the scalar isoscalar fields σ and ζ and the scalar-isovector field δ. The scalar-isovector field δ account for the finite isospin asymmetry of different nuclei having asymmetry in number of protons and neutrons. The binding energy and absorption decay width of mesons are calculated for the ground state and some of possible excited states of the nuclei. In the chiral SU(3) model, the mesons η, D⁰, D⁰, B⁰, B⁰ and K⁰ are observed to have significant negative mass shift upto nuclear saturation density which lead to the possibility of the bound states at least for ground states and some of excited states in case of heavy nuclei. For the pseudoscalar singlet η' and the vector meson φ the mass shift obtained are found to be small and bound states are not formed. The present calculations are compared with different studies available in the field and will be useful in understanding the outcomes from different experimental facilities focusing on this area of research.