Partial-wave expansion of $\Lambda NN$ three-baryon interactions in chiral effective field theory

An expression of partial wave expansion of three-baryon interactions in chiral effective field theory is presented. The derivation follows the method by Hebeler et al. [Phys. Rev. C{\bf 91}, 044001 (2015)], but the final expression is more general. That is, a systematic treatment of the higher-rank spin-momentum structure of the interaction becomes possible. Using the derived formula, a $\Lambda$-deuteron folding potential is evaluated. This information is valuable for inferring the possible contribution of the $\Lambda NN$ three-baryon forces to the hypertriton as the basis of further studies by sophisticated Faddeev calculations. A microscopic understanding of $\Lambda NN$ three-baryon forces together with two-body $\Lambda N$ interactions is essential for the description of hypernuclei and neutron-star matter.
Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. The version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C. The results of the numerical calculation have been revised