Observation of $e^{+} e^{-} \to \gamma X(3872)$ at BESIII

Understand

With data samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring at center-of-mass energies from 4.009 to 4.420 GeV, the process $e^{+} e^{-} \to \gamma X(3872)$ is observed for the first time with a statistical significance of $6.3\sigma$.

• The measured mass of the $X(3872)$ is ($3871.9\pm 0.7_{\rm stat.}\pm 0.2_{\rm sys.}$) MeV/$c^2$, in agreement with previous measurements.
• Measurements of the product of the cross section $\sigma[e^{+} e^{-} \to \gamma X(3872)]$ and the branching fraction $\mathcal{B}[X(3872) \to \pi^{+} \pi^{-} J/\psi]$ at center-of-mass energies 4.009, 4.229, 4.260, and 4.360 GeV are reported.
• Our measurements are consistent with expectations for the radiative transition process $Y(4260) \to \gamma X(3872)$.