Production of the exotic Theta baryon in relativistic nuclear collisions

Abstract

Recent experimental data appear to confirm the existence of the exotic Theta+ (uudd\bar{s}) baryon. Simple statistical considerations, which have generally proven rather successful, suggest that this particle should be produced in observable abundance in relativistic nuclear collisions at RHIC, where it may be identifed through the p-K0_s invariant mass spectrum. The observation would not only add new evidence for its existence, but would also provide an additional means for probing the collision system, especially with regard to strangeness.