SU(6), Triquark states, and the pentaquark

Abstract

The purported observation of a state $\Theta^+$ with strangeness S = +1 led to its quark model interpretation in terms of a pentaquark combination involving a triquark-diquark structure -- the Karliner-Lipkin model. In this work, the proper colour-spin symmetry properties for the $q q \bar{q}$ triquark are elucidated by calculating the SU(6) unitary scalar factors and Racah coefficients. Using these results, the colour-spin hyperfine interactions, including flavour symmetry breaking therein, become straight-forward to incorporate and the pentaquark masses are readily obtained. We examine the effect on the pentaquark mass of (a) deviations from the flavour symmetric limit and (b) different strengths of the doublet and triplet hyperfine interactions. Reference values of these parameters yield a $\Theta^+$ mass prediction of 1601 MeV but it can comfortably accommodate 1540 MeV for alternate choices. In the same framework, other pentaquark states $\Xi$ (S=--2) and $\Theta^c $ (with charm C=--1) are expected at 1783 MeV and 2757 MeV, respectively.