Eur. Phys. J. C (2007) 51: 883-889
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-007-0347-y

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Λ_c(2940)⁺: a possible molecular state?

¹ Physics Department, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P.R. China
² Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 1067, Taiwan

^* e-mail: liuxiang726@mail.nankai.edu.cn

Received: 11 February 2007
Revised: 29 May 2007
Published online: 1 August 2007

Abstract

A new baryonic state Λ_c(2940)⁺ has recently been discovered by the Babar collaboration in the D⁰p channel. Later Belle collaboration also observed this state in the Σ_c(2455)^0,++π^±→Λ_c ⁺π⁺π^- channel. The mass of Λ_c(2940)⁺ is just a few MeV below the sum of D^*0 and p masses suggesting a possibility that this state may be a D^*0p molecular state. In this paper we study whether such a molecular state can be consistent with data. We find that the molecular structure can explain data and that if Λ_c(2940)⁺ is a D^*0p molecular state it is likely a 1/2^- state. Several other decays modes are also suggested to further test the molecular structure of Λ_c ⁺(2940).