Study of the Zc+ channel in lattice QCD

Several charged charmonium-like hadrons called $Z_c$ have been recently discovered by different experiments. In contrast to conventional hadrons these contain at least two valence quarks and antiquarks ($bar{c}cbar{d}u$). We perform a lattice QCD simulation of the $I^G(J^{PC})=1^+(1^{+-})$ channel including all relevant two-meson operators under 4.3 GeV: $J/psi pi$, $psi_{2S}pi$, $psi_{1D}pi$, $D bar{D}^*$, $D^* bar{D}^*$, $eta_c rho$ as well as additional diquark anti-diquark operators. In our $N_f = 2$ simulation with pion mass at 266 MeV we are able to identify all two-meson levels within the energy region of interest. However we find no additional level identifiable as a candidate for $Z_c$.

$DK$ and $D^* K$ scattering near threshold

We study the three $D_s$ quantum channels $J^P = 0^+$, $1^+$ and $2^+$ where experiments have identified the charm-strange states $D^*_{s0} (2317)$, $D_{s1}(2460)$, $D_{s1}(2536)$ near the $DK$ and $D^*K$ thresholds, and $D^*_{s2}(2573)$. We consider correlation functions for sets of $overline q q$ operators and, for $J^P = 0^+$, $1^+$, also the $DK$ and $D^*K$ meson-meson interpolators and determine for these cases values of the elastic scattering amplitude. Constructing the full set of correlators requires propagators which connect any pair of lattice sites. For one ensemble of gauge configurations ($32^3times 64$, $m_piapprox 156$ MeV) a stochastic distillation variant is employed and for another ensemble ($16^3times 32$, $m_piapprox 266$ MeV) we use the full distillation method. Both, $D^*_{s0} (2317)$ and $D_{s1}(2460)$, are found as bound states below threshold, whereas $D_{s1}(2536)$, and $D^*_{s2}(2573)$ are identified as narrow resonances close to the experimental masses.

Study of the $Z_c^+$ channel using lattice QCD

Recently experimentalists have discovered several charged charmonium-like hadrons $Z_c^+$ with unconventional quark content $bar ccbar d u$. We perform a search for $Z_c^+$ with mass below $4.2~$GeV in the channel $I^G(J^{PC})=1^+(1^{+-})$ using lattice QCD. The major challenge is presented by the two-meson states $J/psi, pi$, $psi_{2S}pi$, $psi_{1D}pi$, $Dbar D^*$, $D^*bar D^*$, $eta_crho$ that are inevitably present in this channel. The spectrum of eigenstates is extracted using a number of meson-meson and diquark-antidiquark interpolating fields. For our pion mass of 266~MeV we find all the expected two-meson states but no additional candidate for $Z_c^+$ below $4.2~$GeV. Possible reasons for not seeing an additional eigenstate related to $Z_c^+$ are discussed. We also illustrate how a simulation incorporating interpolators with a structure resembling low-lying two-mesons states seems to render a $Z_c^+$ candidate, which is however not robust after further two-meson states around $4.2~$GeV are implemented.

$D_{s}$ mesons with $DK$ and $D^{*}K$ scattering near threshold

$D_s$ mesons are studied in three quantum channels ($J^P=0^+$, $1^+$ and $2^+$), where experiments have identified the very narrow $D_{s0}^*(2317)$, $D_{s1}(2460)$ and narrow $D_{s1}(2536)$, $D_{s2}^*(2573)$. We explore the effect of nearby $DK$ and $D^*K$ thresholds on the subthreshold states using lattice QCD. Our simulation is done on two very different ensembles of gauge configurations (2 or 2+1 dynamical quarks, Pion mass of 266 or 156 MeV, lattice size $16^3times 32$ or $32^3times 64$). In addition to $bar{q}q$ operators we also include meson-meson interpolators in the correlation functions. This clarifies the identification of the states above and below the scattering thresholds. The ensemble with $m_pi simeq 156~$MeV renders the $D_{s1}(2460)$ as a strong interaction bound state 44(10)MeV below $D^*K$ threshold, which is in agreement with the experiment. The $D_{s0}^*(2317)$ is found 37(17)MeV below $DK$ threshold, close to experiment value of 45MeV. The narrow resonances $D_{s1}(2536)$ and $D_{s2}^*(2573)$ are also found close to the experimental masses.

K pi scattering in moving frames

We extend our study of the $Kpi$ system to moving frames and present an exploratory extraction of the masses and widths for the $K^*$ resonances by simulating $Kpi$ scattering in p-wave with $I=1/2$ on the lattice. Using $Kpi$ systems with non-vanishing total momenta allows the extraction of phase shifts at several values of $Kpi$ relative momenta. A Breit-Wigner fit of the phase renders a $K^*(892)$ resonance mass and $K^*to K pi $ coupling compatible with the experimental numbers. We also determine the $K^*(1410)$ mass assuming the experimental $K^*(1410)$ width. We contrast the resonant $I=1/2$ channel with the repulsive non-resonant $I=3/2$ channel, where the phase is found to be negative and small, in agreement with experiment.

$D_{s0}^*(2317)$ Meson and $D$-Meson-Kaon Scattering from Lattice QCD

The scalar meson $D_{s0}^*(2317)$ is found 37(17)MeV below DK threshold in a lattice simulation of the $J^P=0^+$ channel using, for the first time, both DK as well as $bar sc$ interpolating fields. The simulation is done on $N_f=2+1$ gauge configurations with $m_pisimeq 156 $MeV, and the resulting $M_{D_{s0}^*}-tfrac{1}{4}(M_{D_s}+3M_{D_s^*})=266(16)$ MeV is close to the experimental value 241.5(0.8)MeV. The energy level related to the scalar meson is accompanied by additional discrete levels due to DK scattering states. The levels near threshold lead to the negative DK scattering length $a_0=-1.33(20)$ fm that indicates the presence of a state below threshold.