Search for Strange-Pentaquark Production in e+e- Annihilation at sqrt(s)=10.58 GeV

Abstract

We search for strange pentaquark states that have been previously reported by other experiments -- the $\Theta(1540)^+$, $\Xi_5(1860)^{--}$, and $\Xi_5(1860)^0$ -- in 123 fb$^{-1}$ of data recorded with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II $e^+e^-$ storage ring. We find no evidence for these states and set 95% confidence level upper limits on the number of $\Theta(1540)^+$ and $\Xi_5(1860)^{--}$ pentaquarks produced per $e^+e^-$ annihilation event that are about eight and four times lower than the rates measured for ordinary baryons of similar mass.