A mixing model for bottomoniumlike $Z_b$ resonances

Abstract

The isovector bottomoniumlike exotic resonances $Z_b(10610)$ and $Z_b(10650)$ are very close to the thresholds of heavy meson pairs $B \bar B^* \, ( \bar B B^*)$ and $B^* \bar B^*$, and are naturally understood as `molecular' states made of the corresponding meson-antimeson pairs. The picture with a full separation of the two channels cannot be exact and a cross-feed between the states necessarily takes place. A simple model is considered here describing the mixing between the channels in terms of one parameter. The model reasonably describes the current data on the decays of the $Z_b$ resonances to bottomonium plus a pion and predicts the rate and a distinctive interference pattern for the decay $Z_b(10650) \to B \bar B^* \, ( \bar B B^*)$ as well as excess of the mass splitting between the resonances over the mass difference between $B^*$ and $B$ mesons.