Search for pentaquarks at Belle

Abstract

We search for the strange pentaquark $\Theta^+$ using kaon interactions in the material of the Belle detector. No signal is observed in the $p K_S$ final state, while in the $p K^-$ final state we observe $\sim 1.6 \cdot 10^4$ $\Lambda(1520) \to p K^-$ decays. We set an upper limit on the ratio of $\Theta^+$ to $\Lambda(1520)$ yields $\sigma(\Theta^+) / \sigma(\Lambda(1520)) < 2%$ at 90% CL assuming that the $\Theta^+$ is narrow. We also report on searches for strange and charmed pentaquarks in B meson decays. These results are obtained from a 155$fb^{-1}$ data sample collected with the Belle detector near the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance, at the KEKB asymmetric energy $e^+ e^-$ collider.