Search for the $Θ^+$ pentaquark in the reactions $γp \to \bar K^0K^+n$ and $γp \to \bar K^0K^0p$

Abstract

The exclusive reactions $γp \to \bar K^0 K^+ n$ and $γp \to \bar K^0 K^0 p$ have been studied in the photon energy range 1.6--3.8 GeV, searching for evidence of the exotic baryon $Θ^+(1540)$ in the decays $Θ^+\to nK^+$ and $Θ^+\to p K^0$. Data were collected with the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The integrated luminosity was about 70 pb$^{-1}$. The reactions have been isolated by detecting the $K^+$ and proton directly, the neutral kaon via its decay to $K_S \to π^+ π^-$ and the neutron or neutral kaon via the missing mass technique. The mass and width of known hyperons such as $Σ^+$, $Σ^-$ and $Λ(1116)$ were used as a check of the mass determination accuracy and experimental resolution. Approximately 100,000 $Λ^*(1520)$'s and 150,000 $ϕ$'s were observed in the $\bar K^0 K^+ n$ and $\bar K^0 K^0 p$ final state respectively. No evidence for the $Θ^+$ pentaquark was found in the $nK^+$ or $pK_S$ invariant mass spectra. Upper limits were set on the production cross section of the reaction $γp \to Θ^+ \bar K^0$ as functions of center-of-mass angle, $nK^+$ and $pK_S$ masses. Combining the results of the two reactions, the 95% C.L. upper limit on the total cross section for a resonance peaked at 1540 MeV was found to be 0.7 nb. Within most of the available theoretical models, this corresponds to an upper limit on the $Θ^+$ width, $Γ_{Θ^{+}}$, ranging between 0.01 and 7 MeV.