We examine the use of hadronic event generators, such as Pythia or Herwig, to estimate the production rate of loosely-bound hadronic molecules, such as the deuteron and the X(3872). In the case of the deuteron, we point out that there are large uncertainties in the normalization of the predictions using event generators, because baryon pair distributions are not among the inputs used to tune the event generators. Predictions using Pythia for anti-deuteron production in Upsilon decay are compared to measurements by the CLEO Collaboration. They suggest that Pythia overpredicts the probability of producing pairs of baryons, at least in Upsilon decay into three gluons, and that the standard value of the coalescence parameter underpredicts the probability for formation of a deuteron from a neutron and proton with small relative momentum. In the case of the X(3872), we discuss a proposed upper bound on the prompt cross section at the Tevatron that has been used as an argument against the X(3872) being a loosely-bound charm meson molecule. We demonstrate that this proposed upper bound is invalid by showing that the analogous upper bound for the anti-deuteron would be smaller than the observed anti-deuteron cross section.
We perform a field-theoretical study of possible deuteron-like molecules with both open charm and bottom, using the Heavy-Meson Effective Theory. In this approach, we analyze the parameter space of the coupling constants and discuss the formation of loosely-bound $D^{(*)} B^{(*)} $-states. We estimate their masses and other properties.
We perform a systematical investigation of the possible deuteron-like bound states with configuration $Ξ_{cc}N (\bar{N})$, where $N(\bar{N})$ denotes the nucleon (anti-nucleon), in the framework of the one-boson-exchange-potential model. In the spin-triplet sector we take into account both the ${}^3S_1$ and ${}^3D_1$ channels due to non-vanishing tensor force. There exist several candidates of the loosely bound molecular states for the $Ξ_{cc}N$ and $Ξ_{cc}\bar{N}$ systems, which lie below the threshold of $Λ_cΛ_c$ or $Λ_c{\barΛ}_c$. We also investigate the possible loosely bound states with c…
With a quark level interaction, we give a unified description of the loosely bound molecular systems composed of the heavy flavor hadrons $(\bar{D},\bar{D}^*)$, $(Λ_c, Σ_c, Σ_c^*)$, and $(Ξ_c, Ξ_c^\prime,Ξ_c^*)$. Using the $P_c$ states as inputs to fix the interaction strength of light quark-quark pairs, we reproduce the observed $P_{cs}$ and $T_{cc}^+$ states and predict another narrow $T_{cc}^{\prime+}$ state with quantum numbers $[D^*D^*]_{J=1}^{I=0}$. If we require a satisfactory description of the $T_{cc}^+$ and $P_c$ states simultaneously, our framework prefers the assignments of the $P_…
We investigate the possible molecules composed of two heavy flavor baryons such as "$A_QB_Q$"(Q=b, c) within the one-pion-exchange model (OPE). Our results indicate that the long-range $π$ exchange force is strong enough to form molecules such as $[Σ_QΞ_Q^{'}]^{I=1/2}_{S=1}$(Q=b, c), $[Σ_QΛ_Q]^{I=1}_{S=1}$(Q=b, c), $[Σ_bΞ_b^{'}]^{I=3/2}_{S=1}$ and $[Ξ_bΞ^{'}_b]^{I=0}_{S=1}$ where the S-D mixing plays an important role. In contrast, the $π$ exchange does not form the spin-singlet $A_QB_Q$ bound states. If we consider the heavier scalar and vector meson exchanges as well as the pion exchange, so…
We discuss the possibility of observing a loosely bound molecular state in a B three-body hadronic decay. In particular we use the QCD sum rule approach to study a $η^\prime-π$ molecular current. We consider an isovector-scalar $I^G J^{PC}= 1^-~0^{++}$ molecular current and we use the two-point and three-point functions to study the mass and decay width of such state. We consider the contributions of condensates up to dimension six and we work at leading order in $α_s$. We obtain a mass around 1.1 GeV, consistent with a loosely bound state, and a $η^\prime-π\rightarrow K^+ K^-$ decay width aro…
We deploy a kinetic-rate equation to evaluate the transport of $J/ψ$, $ψ(2S)$, $B_c$ and X(3872) in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions and compare their production yields to experimental data from the Large Hadron Collider. The rate equation has two main transport parameters, i.e., the equilibrium limit and reaction rate for each state. The temperature-dependent equilibrium limits include charm- and bottom-quark fugacities based on their initial production. The reaction rates for charmonia, bottomonia and $B_c$ rely on charm- and bottom-quark masses as well as binding energies from a ther…
From the analysis of light (anti)nuclei multiplicities that were measured recently by the ALICE collaboration in Pb+Pb collisions at the center-of-mass collision energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =2.76$ TeV there arose a highly non-trivial question about the excluded volume of composite particles. Surprisingly, the hadron resonance gas model (HRGM) is able to perfectly describe the light (anti)nuclei multiplicities under various assumptions. Thus, one can consider the (anti)nuclei with a vanishing hard-core radius (as the point-like particles) or with the hard-core radius of proton, but the fit quality is…
In this paper, we make a detailed study on the hadronic production of the $Ξ_{bc}$ baryon at a fixed target experiment at the LHC (After@LHC). In estimating the production cross sections, the $(g+g)$, $(g+c)$ and $(g+b)$ production mechanisms are considered. For the initial heavy quarks, in addition to the extrinsic component, we also consider the intrinsic component. It is found that the $(g+c)$ and $(g+b)$ production mechanisms give sizable contributions to the $Ξ_{bc}$ production, and the $(g+b)$ mechanism dominates the production. The results show that there are about $3.40\times10^5$ $Ξ_{…
We have studied the loosely bound $D^*\bar{D}^*$ system. Our results indicate that the recently observed charged charmonium-like structure $Z_c(4025)$ can be an ideal $D^*\bar{D}^*$ molecular state. We have also investigated its pionic, dipionic, and radiative decays. We stress that both the scalar isovector molecular partner $Z_{c0}$ and three isoscalar partners ${\tilde Z}_{c0,c1,c2}$ should also exist if $Z_c(4025)$ is a $D^*\bar{D}^*$ molecular state {in the framework of the one-pion-exchange model}. $Z_{c0}$ can be searched for in the channel $e^+e^-\to Y \to Z_{c0}(4025)\left(ππ\right)_{…
The creation of loosely bound objects in heavy ion collisions, e.g. light clusters, near the phase transition temperature $\left(T_{\rm ch} \approx 155 \, \rm{MeV} \right)$ has been a puzzling observation that seems to be at odds with Big Bang nucleosynthesis suggesting that deuterons and other clusters are formed only below a temperature $T\approx 0.1-1 \, \text{MeV}$. We solve this puzzle by showing that the light cluster abundancies in heavy ion reactions stay approximately constant from chemical freeze-out to kinetic freeze-out. To this aim we develop an extensive network of coupled reacti…
Identifying hadronic molecular states and/or hadrons with multi-quark components either with or without exotic quantum numbers is a long standing challenge in hadronic physics. We suggest that studying the production of these hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions offer a promising resolution to this problem as yields of exotic hadrons are expected to be strongly affected by their structures. Using the coalescence model for hadron production, we find that compared to the case of a non-exotic hadron with normal quark numbers, the yield of an exotic hadron is typically an order of magnitud…
Using a simple geometric framework with a realistic nuclear density distribution, we fit published HERMES data to determine fundamental properties of hadronization using the nuclear medium as a spatial analyzer. Our approach uses a fit to the transverse momentum broadening observable and the hadronic multiplicity ratio; the simultaneous fit to two different observables strongly constrains the outcome. Using the known sizes of the target nuclei, we extract the color lifetime, finding a z$\mathrm{_h}$-dependent range of values from 2 to 8 fm/c for these data. We also extract estimates for the $\…
In nuclear physics, triton and helium-3 nucleus can be understood as three-body hadronic molecules. Analogous to the loosely bound structures for the triton and helium-3 nucleus, whether there is a bound state formed by three hadrons leaves us an open issue. Based on the one-boson exchange model as well as the adoption of the variational approach, we make a comprehensive investigation on the tritonlike systems of three identical baryons $NNN$, $ΛΛΛ$, $ΞΞΞ$ and $ΣΣΣ$. We predict that the three-body molecular states for the systems of three identical hadrons of baryon octet are probably existent…
In the paper, we present a detailed discussion on the $Ξ_{cc}$ production at a fixed target experiment at the LHC (After@LHC). The doubly charmed baryon $Ξ_{cc}$ is produced via the channel, ${\rm Proton} + {\rm Proton}\toΞ_{cc}+X$. In estimating its hadroproduction, we discuss three dominant subprocesses, e.g. $g+g\to Ξ_{cc} +\bar{c} +\bar{c}$, $g+c\to Ξ_{cc}+\bar{c}$ and $c+c\to Ξ_{cc}+g$. During the production, it shall first generate a binding diquark and then form the $Ξ_{cc}$ baryon by grabbing soft light-quarks or gluons. We observe that both the two diquark configurations $(cc)[^3S_1]_…
