Some decay properties of hidden-charm pentaquarks as baryon-meson molecules

Understand

It is pointed out that the previously suggested interpretation of the hidden-charm pentaquarks $P_c(4312)$, $P_c(4440)$ and $P_c(4457)$ as molecular bound states of $\Sigma_c \bar D$ and $\Sigma_c \bar D^*$ baryon-meson pairs gives rise to specific relations for their decays.

• In particular, the heavy quark spin symmetry predicts ratios of rates of decays of each of the molecules to $J/\psi p$ and to $\eta_c p$ as well as of the decays to $\Lambda_c \bar D$ and to $\Lambda_c \bar D^*$.
• Experimental studies of these relations would thus provide an indicative probe of the molecular structure.