Calculation of the Λ -particle binding energy in nuclear matter with a simple functional variation method

Results of calculations based on a first order functional variation method for the binding energy D of a ..lambda.. particle in infinite nuclear matter are reported. Some additional details of the formal part of the problem which had been previously discussed are also given. In particular, the ''stability condition'' is studied and the analytic solution in the case of the exponential with hard core potentials is also derived. Various nucleon-nucleon correlation functions and central ..lambda..-nucleon potentials are used in order to investigate the dependence of D on them. The results, which are obtained by including in the computations the second order terms (in the density rho of nuclear matter) show, for some potentials, large overbinding of the ..lambda.. particle, while for other potentials the overbinding is considerably reduced. A discussion of the results is finally made. (AIP)