Observation of an axial-vector state in the study of $\psi(3686) \to \phi \eta \eta'$ decay

Abstract

Using (2712.4 $\pm$ 14.3)$\times 10^{6}$ $\psi(3686)$ events collected with the BESIII detector at BEPCII, a partial wave analysis of the decay $\psi(3686) \to \phi \eta \eta' $ is performed with the covariant tensor approach. An axial-vector state with a mass near 2.3 $\rm GeV/c^2$ is observed for the first time. Its mass and width are measured to be 2316 $\pm 9_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 30_{\mathrm{syst}}\,\rm MeV/c^2$ and 89 $\pm 15_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 26_{\mathrm{syst}}\,\rm MeV$, respectively. The product branching fractions of $\mathcal{B}(\psi(3686) \to X(2300) \eta') \mathcal{B}(X(2300)\to \phi \eta)$ and $\mathcal{B}(\psi(3686) \to X(2300) \eta)\mathcal{B}(X(2300)\to \phi \eta')$ are determined to be (4.8 $\pm 1.3_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 0.7_{\mathrm{syst}})\times 10^{-6}$ and (2.2 $\pm 0.7_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 0.7_{\mathrm{syst}})\times 10^{-6}$, respectively. The branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(\psi(3686) \to \phi \eta \eta')$ is measured for the first time to be (3.14$\pm0.17_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm0.24_{\mathrm{syst}})\times10^{-5}$. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.