Exotic $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$ mesons in a holographic model of QCD

Abstract

Mesons with quantum numbers $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$ cannot be represented as simple quark-antiquark pairs. We explore hybrid configurations in the light meson sector comprising a quark, an antiquark and an excited gluon, studying the properties of such states in a phenomenological model inspired by the gauge/gravity correspondence. The computed mass, compared to the experimental mass of the $1^{-+}$ candidates $\pi_1(1400)$, $\pi_1(1600)$ and $\pi_1(2015)$, favous $\pi_1(1400)$ as the lightest hybrid state. An interesting result concerns the stability of hybrid mesons at finite temperature: they disappear from the spectral function (i.e. they melt) at a lower temperature with respect to other states, light vector and scalar mesons, and scalar glueballs.