Formation of hidden-charm pentaquarks in photon-nucleon collisions

TL;DR

This paper estimates the formation cross section of hidden-charm pentaquarks in photon-proton collisions, highlighting their potential for studying decay channels and internal structure, complementing LHCb findings.

Contribution

It provides the first estimates of pentaquark formation in photon-nucleon collisions using a baryocharmonium model, offering insights into their internal dynamics.

Findings

Cross sections for $P_c$ formation are estimated.

Photon experiments can complement LHCb in studying pentaquarks.

Decay channels and yields are sensitive to internal structure.

Abstract

The cross section for formation in $\gamma + p$ collisions of the recently found hidden-charm pentaquark states $P_c(4380)$ and $P_c(4450)$ is discussed and estimated. The studies of these resonances in photon beam experiments can be complementary to those in the LHCb experiment setting, and may be more advantageous for measurement of their additional decay channels. It is pointed out that both the relative importance of such decays and the yield of the resonances in the $\gamma + p$ collisions are sensitive to the internal dynamics of the pentaquarks and can resolve between theoretical models. Specific numerical estimates are discussed within a simple `baryocharmonium' model, where the the observed $P_c$ resonances are composites of $J/\psi$ and excited nucleon states with the quantum numbers of $N(1440)$ and $N(1520)$.