Photoproduction of Theta baryon from the neutron

We study photoproduction reactions for Theta^+, which was recently observed as a candidate of an exotic five quark state uudd(bar s). We employ effective lagrangian interactions in the linear and non-linear formalism of chiral symmetry and investigate two cases of spin and parity of Theta^+, J^P = 1/2^+ and 1/2^-. We calculate cross sections and discuss possibilities to discriminate one from the other.Comment: 14 pages, 19 figure

Phenomenology of the Pentaquark Antidecuplet

We consider the mass splittings and strong decays of members of the lowest-lying pentaquark multiplet, which we take to be a parity-odd antidecuplet. We derive useful decompositions of the quark model wave functions that allow for easy computation of color-flavor-spin matrix elements. We compute mass splittings within the antidecuplet including spin-color and spin-isospin interactions between constituents and point out the importance of hidden strangeness in rendering the nucleon-like states heavier than the S=1 state. Using recent experimental data on a possible S=1 pentaquark state, we make decay predictions for other members of the antidecuplet.Comment: 12 pages LaTeX, 1 eps figur

The fate of the homoctenids (Tentaculitoidea) during the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction (Late Devonian)

The homoctenids (Tentaculitoidea) are small, conical-shelled marine animals which are amongst the most abundant and widespread of all Late Devonian fossils. They were a principal casualty of the Frasnian-Famennian (F-F, Late Devonian) mass extinction, and thus provide an insight into the extinction dynamics. Despite their abundance during the Late Devonian, they have been largely neglected by extinction studies. A number of Frasnian-Famennian boundary sections have been studied, in Poland, Germany, France, and the United States. These sections have yielded homoctenids, which allow precise recognition of the timing of the mass extinction. It is clear that the homoctenids almost disappear from the fossil record during the latest Frasnian “Upper Kellwasser Event”. The coincident extinction of this pelagic group, and the widespread development of intense marine anoxia within the water column, provides a causal link between anoxia and the F-F extinction. Most notable is the sudden demise of a group, which had been present in rock-forming densities, during this anoxic event. One new species, belonging to Homoctenus is described, but is not formally named here

Magnetic moments of exotic pentaquarks in the chiral quark-soliton model

We investigate the magnetic moments of the baryon antidecuplet within the framework of the chiral quark-soliton model in the chiral limit in a ``\emph{model-independent}'' approach. Sum rules for the magnetic moments are derived. The magnetic moment of $\Theta^{+}$ is found to be about $0.2\sim 0.3 \mu_{N}$.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Phys. Lett. B. The title was changed. One sign mistake was removed with the text extended. One author is adde

Prospects for Pentaquark Production at Meson Factories

Following Rosner [hep-ph/0312269], we consider B-decay production channels for the exotic I=0 and $I=3/2$ pentaquarks that have been recently reported. We also discuss new search channels for isovector pentaquarks, such as the $\Theta^{*++} (\bar s duuu)$, that are generically present in chiral soliton models but were not observed in recent experiments. Futhermore, we argue that weak decays of charmed baryons, such as the $\Lambda_c^+$ and $\Xi_c^0$, provide another clean way of detecting exotic baryons made of light quarks only. We also discuss discovery channels for charmed pentaquarks, such as the isosinglet $\Theta_c^0 (\bar c udud)$, in weak decays of bottom mesons and baryons. Finally, we discuss prospects for inclusive production of pentaquarks in $e^+ e^-$ collisions, with associated production of particles carrying the opposite baryon number.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX; v2,v3: minor corrections, references added; v4: minor modifications, the version published in Physics Letters

A Naturally Narrow Positive Parity Theta^+

We present a consistent color-flavor-spin-orbital wave function for a positive parity Theta^+ that naturally explains the observed narrowness of the state. The wave function is totally symmetric in its flavor-spin part and totally antisymmetric in its color-orbital part. If flavor-spin interactions dominate, this wave function renders the positive parity Theta^+ lighter than its negative parity counterpart. We consider decays of the Theta^+ and compute the overlap of this state with the kinematically allowed final states. Our results are numerically small. We note that dynamical correlations between quarks are not necessary to obtain narrow pentaquark widths.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, Revtex4, two-column format, version to be published in Phys. Rev. D, includes numerical estimates of decay width

Flavored exotic multibaryons and hypernuclei in topological soliton models

The energies of baryon states with positive strangeness, or anti-charm (-beauty) are estimated in chiral soliton approach, in the "rigid oscillator" version of the bound state soliton model proposed by Klebanov and Westerberg. Positive strangeness states can appear as relatively narrow nuclear levels (Theta-hypernuclei), the states with heavy anti-flavors can be bound with respect to strong interactions in the original Skyrme variant of the model (SK4 variant). The binding energies of anti-flavored states are estimated also in the variant of the model with 6-th order term in chiral derivatives in the lagrangian as solitons stabilizer (SK6 variant). The latter variant is less attractive, and nuclear states with anti-charm or anti-beauty can be unstable relative to strong interactions. The chances to get bound hypernuclei with heavy antiflavors are greater within "nuclear variant" of the model with rescaled model parameter (Skyrme constant e or e' decreased by ~30%) which is expected to be valid for baryon numbers greater than B ~10. The rational map approximation is used to describe multiskyrmions with baryon number up to ~30 and to calculate the quantities necessary for their quantization (moments of inertia, sigma-term, etc.).Comment: 24 pages, 7 table

Pentaquark baryons in SU(3) quark model

We study the SU(3) group structure of pentaquark baryons which are made of four quarks and one antiquark. The pentaquark baryons form {1}, {8}, {10}, {10}-bar, {27}, and {35} multiplets in SU(3) quark model. First, the flavor wave functions of all the pentaquark baryons are constructed in SU(3) quark model and then the flavor SU(3) symmetry relations for the interactions of the pentaquarks with three-quark baryons and pentaquark baryons are obtained.Comment: REVTeX, 36 pages, 8 figures, references added, section for mass sum rules is added, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Pentaquark baryon production at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider

Production of pentaquark $\Theta^+$ baryons in central relativistic heavy ion collisions is studied in a kinetic model. Assuming that a quark-gluon plasma is produced in the collisions, we first determine the number of $\Theta^+$ produced from the quark-gluon plasma using a parton coalescence model, and then take into consideration its production and absorption in subsequent hadronic matter via the reactions $KN\leftrightarrow\Theta$, $KN\leftrightarrow\pi\Theta$, and \piN\leftrightarrow\bar K\Theta. We find that although the final $\Theta^+$ number is affected by hadronic interactions, it remains sensitive to the initial number of $\Theta^+$ produced from the quark-gluon plasma, particularly in the case of a small $\Theta^+$ width as imposed by the $K^+N$ and $K^+d$ scattering data. Because of small baryon chemical potential in the hot dense matter produced in these collisions, the number of produced anti-$\Theta$ is only slightly smaller than that of $\Theta^+$.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, revised version, to appear in PL

Partners of the Theta^+ in Large N_c QCD

A strangeness +1 exotic baryon Theta^+ has recently been seen in a number of experiments. We demonstrate that in large N_c QCD the existence of such a state implies the existence of S = +1 partner states with various spins and isospins but comparable masses. We discuss the spectroscopy of such states and possible channels in which they can be observed, based on the simple assumption that those states with pentaquark quantum numbers are unlikely to be large N_c artifacts.Comment: 5 pages, no figures, Revte