Emergence of a Complete Heavy-Quark Spin Symmetry Multiplet: Seven Molecular Pentaquarks in Light of the Latest LHCb Analysis

• Published in: Physical review letters 2019-06, Vol.122 (24), p.242001-242001, Article 242001
• Main Authors: Liu, Ming-Zhu, Pan, Ya-Wen, Peng, Fang-Zheng, Sánchez, Mario Sánchez, Geng, Li-Sheng, Hosaka, Atsushi, Valderrama, Manuel Pavon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Field theory; Flavor (particle physics); High Energy Physics - Experiment; High Energy Physics - Lattice; High Energy Physics - Phenomenology; Nuclear Theory; Physics; Quarks; Symmetry
• ISSN: 0031-9007; 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.242001

A recent analysis by the LHCb Collaboration suggests the existence of three narrow pentaquarklike states-the P_{c}(4312), P_{c}(4440), and P_{c}(4457)-instead of just one in the previous analysis [the P_{c}(4450)]. The closeness of the P_{c}(4312) to the D[over ¯]Σ_{c} threshold and the P_{c}(4440)  and  P_{c}(4457) to the D[over ¯]^{*}Σ_{c} threshold suggests a molecular interpretation of these resonances. We show that these three pentaquarklike resonances can be naturally accommodated in a contact-range effective field theory description that incorporates heavy-quark spin symmetry. This description leads to the prediction of all the seven possible S-wave heavy antimeson-baryon molecules [that is, there should be four additional molecular pentaquarks in addition to the P_{c}(4312), P_{c}(4440), and P_{c}(4457)], providing the first example of a heavy-quark spin symmetry molecular multiplet that is complete. If this is confirmed, it will not only give us an impressive example of the application of heavy-quark symmetries and effective field theories in hadron physics, it will also uncover a clear and powerful ordering principle for the molecular spectrum, reminiscent of the SU(3)-flavor multiplets to which the light hadron spectrum conforms.