Chiral SU(3) theory of antikaon-nucleon interactions with improved threshold constraints

(K) over bar -nucleon interaction's are investigated in the framework of coupled-channels dynamics based on the next-to-leading order chiral SU(3) meson baryon effective Lagrangian. A recent determination of the 1s shift and width of kaonic hydrogen enables us to set accurate constraints on the coupled-channels meson baryon amplitudes in the strangeness S = -1 sector. Theoretical uncertainties in the subthreshold extrapolation of the coupled-channels amplitudes are discussed. Using this framework, we give predictions for K--neutron interactions and for the spectrum of the Lambda(1405) resonance. A simplified, effective three-channel model using leading order chiral SU(3) meson-baryon interactions is also constructed for convenient application in (K) over bar -nuclear few-body calculations. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.