Editing Hypernucleus (section)

{{Short description|Nucleus which contains at least one hyperon}}
A '''hypernucleus''' is similar to a conventional [[atomic nucleus]], but contains at least one [[hyperon]] in addition to the normal [[proton]]s and [[neutron]]s. Hyperons are a category of [[baryon]] particles that carry non-zero [[strangeness]] quantum number, which is conserved by the [[strong interaction|strong]] and [[electromagnetic interaction]]s.

A variety of reactions give access to depositing one or more units of strangeness in a nucleus. Hypernuclei containing the lightest hyperon, the [[lambda baryon|lambda]] (Λ), tend to be more tightly bound than normal nuclei, though they can decay via the weak force with a mean lifetime of around {{val|200|ul=ps}}. [[Sigma baryon|Sigma]] (Σ) hypernuclei have been sought, as have doubly-strange nuclei containing [[xi baryon]]s (Ξ) or two Λ's.