Test of the $h_1(1830)$ made of $K^{*}\bar{K}^*$ with the $\eta_c\rightarrow \phi K^{*}\bar{K}^{*}$ decay

Abstract

We present a new reaction, complementary to the $J/\psi\rightarrow \eta K^{*0}\bar{K}^{*0}$ from which an $h_1$ resonance with mass around $1830$ MeV was reported from a BESIII experiment. The new reaction is $\eta_c\rightarrow \phi K^*\bar{K}^*$, or $\eta_c(2S)\rightarrow \phi K^*\bar{K}^*$. Using the information from the analysis of $J/\psi\rightarrow \eta K^{*0}\bar{K}^{*0}$, we find that the $K^*\bar{K}^*$ invariant mass distribution for those two $\eta_c$ decays exhibits a clear peak around $1830$ MeV perfectly distinguishable from what one obtains with pure phase space. We suggest the implementation of these reactions to assert the existence of this elusive resonance which, by its nature as a vector-vector molecule with $0^-(1^{+-})$ quantum numbers, only couples to the $K^*\bar{K}^*$ channel.