  We study the formation of large hyper-fragments in relativistic heavy-ion
collisions within two transport models, DCM and UrQMD. Our goal is to explore a
new mechanism for the formation of strange nuclear systems via capture of
hyperons by relatively cold spectator matter produced in semi-peripheral
collisions. We investigate basic characteristics of the produced
hyper-spectators and evaluate the production probabilities of multi-strange
systems. Advantages of the proposed mechanisms over an alternative coalescence
mechanism are analysed. We also discuss how such systems can be detected taking
into account the background of free hyperons. This investigation is important
for the development of new experimental methods for producing hyper-nuclei in
peripheral relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions, which are now underway at
GSI and are planned for the future FAIR and NICA facilities.
