The effect of the in-medium Θ+\Theta^+ pentaquark on the kaon optical potential

The kaon nuclear optical potential is studied including the effect of the $\Theta^+$ pentaquark. The one-nucleon contribution is obtained using an extension of the J\"ulich meson-exchange potential as bare kaon-nucleon interaction. Significant differences between a fully self-consistent calculation and the usually employed low-density $T\rho$ approach are observed. The influence of the one-nucleon absorption process, $K N \to \Theta^+$, on the kaon optical potential is negligible due to the small width of the pentaquark. In contrast, the two-nucleon mechanism, $K N N \to \Theta^+ N$, estimated from the coupling of the pentaquark to a two-meson cloud, provides the required amount of additional kaon absorption to reconcile with data the systematically low $K^+$-nucleus reaction cross sections found by the theoretical models.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Extended discussion on absorption and reaction cross sections. Accepted in Phys. Lett.

Pentaquarks in the medium in the quark-meson coupling model

We calculate the properties of the pentaquarks $\Theta^+$ and $\Xi^{--,0}$ in symmetric nuclear matter using the quark meson coupling model (QMC). The stability of the $\Theta^+$ in the medium with respect to the channel $\Theta^+\to NK^+$ is discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, revte

In-medium Properties of Θ+\Theta^{+} as a Kπ\piN structure in Relativistic Mean Field Theory

The properties of nuclear matter are discussed with the relativistic mean-field theory (RMF).Then, we use two models in studying the in-medium properties of $\Theta^+$: one is the point-like $\Theta^*$ in the usual RMF and the other is a K$\pi$N structure for the pentaquark. It is found that the in-medium properties of $\Theta^+$ are dramatically modified by its internal structure. The effective mass of $\Theta^+$ in medium is, at normal nuclear density, about 1030 MeV in the point-like model, while it is about 1120 MeV in the model of K$\pi$N pentaquark. The nuclear potential depth of $\Theta^+$ in the K$\pi$N model is approximately -37.5 MeV, much shallower than -90 MeV in the usual point-like RMF model.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Strange Exotic States and Compact Stars

We discuss the possible appearance of strange exotic multi-quark states in the interior of neutron stars and signals for the existence of strange quark matter in the core of compact stars. We show how the in-medium properties of possible pentaquark states are constrained by pulsar mass measurements. The possibility of generating the observed large pulsar kick velocities by asymmetric emission of neutrinos from strange quark matter in magnetic fields is outlined.Comment: 10 pages, invited talk given at the International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter 2006 (SQM2006), UCLA, USA, March 26-31, 2006, Journal of Physics G in press, refs. adde

In-medium nuclear interactions of low-energy hadrons

Experimental and theoretical developments of the last decade in the study of exotic atoms and some related low-energy reactions are reviewed, in order to provide information on the in-medium hadron-nucleon t matrix over a wide range of densities up to central nuclear densities. In particular, we review pionic deeply bound atomic states and related evidence for partial restoration of chiral symmetry in dense nuclear matter. The case for relatively narrow deeply bound atomic states for antikaons and antiprotons is made, based on the physics of strong nuclear absorption. Recent experimental suggestions for signals of antikaon-nuclear deeply bound states are reviewed, and dynamical models for calculating binding energies, widths and densities of antikaon nuclear states are discussed. Specific features of low-energy in-medium interactions of kaons, antiprotons and of Sigma hyperons are discussed, and suggestions to study experimentally Cascade atoms are reviewed.Comment: 86 pages, 44 figures, slight revisions, references added, Physics Reports (in press

Traces of Theta^+ pentaquark in K^+ nucleus dynamics

Long-standing anomalies in K^+ nucleus integral cross sections could be resolved by extending the impulse-approximation t*rho optical-potential framework to incorporate K^+ absorption on pairs of nucleons. Substantially improved fits to the data at p(lab)=500-700 MeV/c are obtained. An upper bound of 3.5 mb for the absorption cross section of K^+ per nucleon is derived. We conjecture that the underlying microscopic absorption process is K^+ n N --> Theta^+ N, where Theta^+(1540) is the newly discovered exotic Y=2, I=0, Z=1 pentaquark baryon, and estimate that the cross section for K^+ d --> Theta^+ p is a fraction of millibarn. Comments are made on Theta^+ production reactions on nuclei.Comment: 4 double-column pages, 1 figure, extended results and discussion, final form accepted for publication in PR

D^- mesic atoms

The anti-D meson self-energy is evaluated self-consistently, using unitarized coupled-channel theory, by computing the in-medium meson-baryon T-matrix in the C=-1,S=0 sector. The heavy pseudo-scalar and heavy vector mesons, anti-D and anti-D^*, are treated on equal footing as required by heavy quark spin symmetry. Results for energy levels and widths of D^- mesic atoms in 12C, 40Ca, 118Sn and 208Pb are presented. The spectrum contains states of atomic and of nuclear types for all nuclei. anti-D^0--nucleus bound states are also obtained. We find that, after electromagnetic and nuclear cascade, these systems end up with the anti-D bound in the nucleus, either as a meson or as part of a exotic anti-D N (pentaquark) loosely bound state.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, 5 table