Positive parity pentaquark towers in large Nc QCD

Abstract

We construct the complete set of positive parity pentaquarks, which correspond in the quark model to {\bar s} q^{Nc+1} states with one unit of orbital angular momentum L=1. In the large Nc limit they fall into the K=1/2 and K=3/2 irreps (towers) of the contracted SU(4)c symmetry. We derive predictions for the mass spectrum and the axial couplings of these states at leading order in 1/Nc. The strong decay width of the lowest-lying positive parity exotic state is of order O(1/Nc), such that this state is narrow in the large Nc limit. Replacing the antiquark with a heavy antiquark {\bar Q} q^{Nc+1}, the two towers become degenerate, split only by O(1/mQ) hyperfine interactions. We obtain predictions for the strong decay widths of heavy pentaquarks to ordinary baryons and heavy H(*)_{\bar Q} mesons at leading order in 1/Nc and 1/mQ.