Experimental search for radiative decays of the pentaquark baryon Θ⁺(1540)

Abstract

The data on the reactions K ⁺Xe → K ⁰ γX and K ⁺Xe → K ⁺ γX, obtained with the bubble chamber DIANA, have been analyzed for possible radiative decays of the Θ⁺(1540) baryon: Θ⁺ → K ⁰ pγ and Θ⁺ → K ⁺ nγ. No signals have been observed, and we derive the upper limits Γ(Θ⁺ → K ⁰ pγ)/Γ(Θ⁺ → K ⁰ p) < 0.032 and Γ(Θ⁺ → K ⁺ nγ)/Γ(Θ⁺ → K ⁺ nγ) < 0.041 which, using our previous measurement of Γ(Θ⁺ → KN) = 0.39 ± 0.10 MeV, translate to Γ(Θ⁺ → K ⁰ pγ) < 8 keV and Γ(Θ⁺ → K ⁺ nγ) < 11 keV at 90% confidence level. We have also measured the cross sections of K ⁺-induced reactions involving emission of a neutral pion: σ(K ⁺ n → K ⁰ pπ ⁰) = 68 ± 18 µb and σ(K ⁺ N → K ⁺ Nπ ⁰) = 30 ± 8 µb for incident K ⁺ momentum of 640 MeV.