Canonical interpretation of the $\eta_2(1870)$

Abstract

We argue that the mass, production, total decay width, and decay pattern of the $\eta_2(1870)$ do not appear to contradict with the picture of it being the conventional $2 ^1D_2$ $q\bar{q}$ state. The possibility of the $\eta_2(1870)$ being a mixture of the conventional $q\bar{q}$ and the hybrid is also discussed.