Possible Hints and Search for Glueball Production in Charmless Rare B Decays

Abstract

Recent data on B->p pbar K, K0 pi pi and K Kbar K hint at a $\sim 2.3$ GeV object recoiling against a kaon. This could be the narrow state observed in J/\psi -> gamma xi. Nonobservation in p pbar annihilation implies ${\cal B}(\xi \to p\bar p) \sim$ few $\times 10^{-3}$, consistent with eta_c and J/\psi decays, but there are actual hints in p pbar -> phi phi and p p-> p pi^+ pi^- pi^+ pi^- p. Simple modeling shows ${\cal B}(B \to \xi K){\cal B}(\xi \to p\bar p) \sim 1\times 10^{-6}$, appearing as a spike in the $p\bar p$ spectrum, with $\sim$ 30 events per 100 fb$^{-1}$; modes such as K K_s K_s, K phi phi, K4 pi (K f_2 pi pi) etc. should be explored. The underlying dynamics of g* -> g xi is analogous to g* -> g etaprime or gluon fragmentation. Discovery of sizable B -> xi K could be useful for CP violation studies.