Revisiting $KN$ elastic and charge exchange reactions in search of the pentaquark $\Theta^+$ baryon

TL;DR

This paper reanalyzes various kaon-nucleon scattering data to investigate the existence of the pentaquark $ heta^+$ baryon, proposing polarization measurements as a more sensitive method for detection.

Contribution

It provides a detailed phase shift analysis of kaon-nucleon reactions and suggests polarization observables as a promising approach to identify the $ heta^+$ baryon.

Findings

Phase shifts for $K^+n$ and $K^0p$ channels are determined at low momenta.

Analysis indicates polarization measurements are more sensitive than differential cross sections.

The $ heta^+$ baryon, if it exists, could be distinguished by specific polarization signatures.

Abstract

In the search for the pentaquark $\Theta^+$ baryon, the world data on $K^+n\to K^+n$ and $K^+n\to K^0\,p$ reactions on the deuteron target and $K^0\,p\to K^+n$ and $K^0_L\,p\to K^0_S\,p$ reactions on the hydrogen target are revisited to study the isoscalar component of the scattering amplitudes. The determination of the $s$- and $p$-wave phase shifts for the two former channels on the deuteron target is presented in the low momentum region with the uncertainty due to the deuteron form factors at forward angles discussed. For the reactions on hydrogen targets, a similarity expected from time reversal between the charge exchange processes $K^+n\to K^0\,p$ and $K^0\,p\to K^+n$ is exploited, while we present the analysis of the $K_L^0\,p\to K_S^0\,p$ scattering based on the $s$-wave phase shift for low momenta combined with the $t$-channel $\rho^0(775)+\omega(782)+\phi(1020)$ vector meson exchange at high momenta. With the mass 1535 MeV and decay width 5 MeV the possibility of the $\Theta^+$ in the Breit-Wigner (BW) form is tested in the differential cross section measured by C. J. S. Damerell {\it et\ al.} at ${\rm P_{Lab}}=434$ MeV/$c$ and polarization. Our analysis suggests measuring the polarization observable rather than the differential cross section, which has sufficient sensitivity to distinguish the $\Theta^+$ baryon among all spin and parity states $J^P = 1/2^\pm$ and $3/2^\pm$.