K-Mesic Nuclei Versus eta -Mesic Nuclei

The nuclear states of \bar K and \eta are bound by a similar mechanism - the excitations of nucleons to \Lambda (1405) and N*(1535) resonant states. The observed large differences in binding energies are understood in terms of separation of the involved energies and the resonance positions. The other experimental findings: broad \bar K-mesic and narrow \eta -mesic states are more difficult to understand. A phenomenological model for \eta -N interactions is used to explain the suppression of the \eta absorption in light nuclei.