Exact unified tetraquark equations

Abstract

Recently we formulated covariant equations describing the tetraquark in terms of an admixture of two-body states $D\bar D$ (diquark-antidiquark), $MM$ (meson-meson), and three-body-like states where two of the quarks are spectators while the other two are interacting [Phys. Rev. D 107, 094014 (2023)]. A feature of these equations is that they unify descriptions of seemingly unrelated models of the tetraquark, like, for example, the $D\bar D$ model of the Moscow group [Faustov et al., Universe 7, 94 (2021)] and the coupled channel $D \bar D-MM$ model of the Giessen group [Heupel et al., Phys. Lett. B718, 545 (2012)]. Here we extend these equations to the exact case where $q\bar{q}$ annihilation is incorporated explicitly, and all previously neglected terms (three-body forces, non-pole contributions to two-quark t matrices, etc.) are taken into account through the inclusion of a single $q\bar{q}$ potential $\Delta$.