Decays of the f0(1370) scalar glueball candidate

Abstract

For a long time doubts have existed on the existence of the f0(1370) meson as an individual object distinct and separated from the σ meson. Decays into π+π− of the f0(1370) are the main source of an isolated structure localized between 1.2 and 1.5 GeV in the π+π− mass spectrum measured in pp Central Exclusive Production (CEP) at s=200GeV at very low four momentum transfer squared ltl. These data confirm in the π+π− decay channel the existence of the f0(1370) as an isolated well identified structure that was previously observed in K+K−, KsKs, 4π0, 2π0π+π− and π+π−π+π− decays measured in pbar annihilations at rest. The decay branching ratios of f0(1370) into σσ, ρρ, ππ, KKbar, ηη relative to ππ decays obtained in analysis of data of pbar annihilations at rest which treat separately f0(1370) and σ are respectively 5.6, 3, 1, 1, 0.02. The decay and production properties of f0(1370) point to a large gg content. CEP interactions at very high energies favour production of 0++ and 2++ mesons. Selection of events with low ltl at both proton vertices suppresses 2++ structures. LHC runs dedicated to pp CEP measurements at low ltl could then provide a unique clean source of all the low energy scalars, cross check the pbar annihilation results and make it clear if and where scalar gluonium is resident and the nature (composition in terms of qqbar, qqqbarqbar, qqbar-qqbar and gg) of f0(500), f0(980), f0(1370), f0(1500) and f0(1710).