Is the Exotic Hadron X(3872) a D0 D*0 Molecule: Precision Determination of the Binding Energy of X(3872)

TL;DR

This paper precisely measures the mass and binding energy of the X(3872) meson to test if it is a D0 D*0 molecule, finding it is likely unbound or very loosely bound, challenging the molecular interpretation.

Contribution

It provides the most precise measurement of the D0 mass and the binding energy of X(3872), offering critical evidence about its molecular nature.

Findings

X(3872) is likely unbound or very weakly bound.

The binding energy is consistent with zero within uncertainties.

If bound, X(3872) would have an extremely large radius.

Abstract

It has been proposed that the recently discovered archetypical "exotic" meson, X(3872), with M(X(3872))=3871.68+-0.17 MeV/c^2, and an extremely narrow width, Gamma(X(3872))<1.2 MeV, is a hadronic molecule of bound D^0 and D^*0 mesons. If true, this would establish a new species of hadrons, distinct from qqbar mesons and qqq baryons. It is put to an important experimental test by making a high precision measurement of the proposed molecule's binding energy. Using 818 pb-1 of e+e- annihilation data taken with the CLEO-c detector at psi(3770), the decays D0 -> KS K+ K- and D^0(Dbar0) -> K+- pi-+ pi+ pi- have been studied to make the highest precision measurement of D0 mass, M(D0)=1864.851+-0.020+-0.019+-0.054 MeV/c^2, where the first error is statistical, the second error is systematic, and the third error is due to uncertainty in kaon masses, or 1864.851+-0.061 MeV/c^2 with all errors added in quadrature. This leads to M(D0 + D*0)=3871.822+-0.140 MeV/c^2, and the binding energy BE(X(3872)) = M(D0+D*0)-M(X(3872)) = +142+-220 keV. At the 90% confidence level this leads to the conclusion that X(3872) is either unbound by as much as 140 keV, or it is bound by less than 420 keV. If bound, X(3872) has a very large radius; the central value of binding energy corresponds to a radius of 12 fm, and the lower limit to 7 fm, both being uncomfortably large for a molecule.