Recent progress on hypernuclei

Some of last year’s progress made in hypernuclear physics is reviewed as follows: (i) resolving the ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}^5$He overbinding problem in single-$\mathrm{\Lambda }$ hypernuclei [1]; (ii) arguing that the onset of binding double-$\mathrm{\Lambda }$ hypernuclei is most likely at $A$=5, with the neutral systems ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{\Lambda }}^3$n and ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{\Lambda }}^4$n unbound by a large margin [2]; and (iii) revising the calculated value of the loosely bound ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}^3$H lifetime to a level of $\sim$20% shorter than the free $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ lifetime [3], given recent claims from relativistic heavy ion experiments that $\tau {(}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}^3$H) is shorter than ${\tau }_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}$ by as much as $\approx$(30$\pm$8)%. Also discussed briefly in this context is the lifetime expected for the questionable ${}_{\mathrm{\Lambda }}^3$n hypernucleus.