31 research outputs found
Observation of a narrow baryon resonance with positive strangeness formed in Xe collisions
The charge-exchange reaction K^+ Xe --> K^0 p Xe' is investigated using the
data of the DIANA experiment. The distribution of the pK^0 effective mass shows
a prominent enhancement near 1538 MeV formed by \sim 80 events above the
background, whose width is consistent with being entirely due to the
experimental resolution. Under the selections based on a simulation of K^+Xe
collisions, the statistical significance of the signal reaches 5.5\sigma. We
interpret this observation as strong evidence for formation of a pentaquark
baryon with positive strangeness, \Theta^+(uudd\bar{s}), in the charge-exchange
reaction K^+ n --> K^0 p on a bound neutron. The mass of the \Theta^+ baryon is
measured as m(\Theta^+) = 1538+-2 MeV. Using the ratio between the numbers of
resonant and non-resonant charge-exchange events in the peak region, the
intrinsic width of this baryon resonance is determined as \Gamma(\Theta^+) =
0.34+-0.10 MeV.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure
Observation of a baryon resonance with positive strangeness in K+ collisions with Xe nuclei
The status of our investigation of low-energy Xe collisions in the Xenon
bubble chamber DIANA is reported. In the charge-exchange reaction the spectrum of effective mass shows a resonant enhancement
with MeV/c and ^24.4\sigma$. The mass and width of the
observed resonance are consistent with expectations for the lightest member of
the anti-decuplet of exotic pentaquark baryons, as predicted in the framework
of the chiral soliton model.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Further evidence for formation of a narrow baryon resonance with positive strangeness in K+ collisions with Xe nuclei
We have continued our investigation of the charge-exchange reaction K^+ Xe
--> K^0 p Xe' in the bubble chamber DIANA. In agreement with our previous
results based on part of the present statistics, formation of a narrow p K^0
resonance with mass of 1537+-2 MeV/c^2 is observed in the elementary transition
K^+ n --> K^0 p on a neutron bound in the Xenon nucleus. Visible width of the
peak is consistent with being entirely due to instrumental resolution and
allows to place an upper limit on its intrinsic width: \Gamma < 9 MeV/c^2. A
more precise estimate of the resonance intrinsic width, \Gamma = 0.36+-0.11
MeV/c^2, is obtained from the ratio between the numbers of resonant and
non-resonant charge-exchange events. The signal is observed in a restricted
interval of incident K^+ momentum, that is consistent with smearing of a narrow
p K^0 resonance by Fermi motion of the target neutron. Statistical significance
of the signal is some 7.3, 5.3, and 4.3 standard deviations for the estimators
S/sqrt{B}, S/sqrt{S+B}, and S/sqrt{S+2B}, respectively. This observation
confirms and reinforces our earlier results, and offers strong evidence for
formation of a pentaquark baryon with positive strangeness in the
charge-exchange reaction K^+ n --> K^0 p on a bound neutron.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, some chenges in text and references, more
precise estimate of Theta(1540) to add, submitted to Phys.Atom.Nucl(Yad.Fiz.
Experimental search for radiative decays of the pentaquark baryon \Theta^+(1540)
The data on the reactions K^+Xe --> K^0 \gamma X and K^+Xe --> K^+ \gamma X,
obtained with the bubble chamber DIANA, have been analyzed for possible
radiative decays of the \Theta^+(1540) baryon: \Theta^+ --> K^0 p \gamma and
\Theta^+ --> K^+ n \gamma. No signals have been observed, and we derive the
upper limits \Gamma(\Theta^+ --> K^0 p \gamma) / \Gamma(\Theta^+ --> K^0 p) <
0.032 and \Gamma(\Theta^+ --> K^+ n \gamma) / \Gamma(\Theta^+ --> K^+ n) <
0.041 which, using our previous measurement of \Gamma(\Theta^+ --> KN) =
(0.39+-0.10) MeV, translate to \Gamma(\Theta^+ --> K^0 p \gamma) < 8 keV and
\Gamma(\Theta^+ --> K^+ n \gamma) < 11 keV at 90% confidence level. We have
also measured the cross sections of K^+ -induced reactions involving emission
of a neutral pion: \sigma(K^+n --> K^0 p \pi^0) = (68+-18) \mub and \sigma(K^+N
--> K^+ N \pi^0) = (30+-8) \mub for incident K^+ momentum of 640 MeV.Comment: 8 page