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Observation of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- state in B0→D∗−D0K+B^0\to D^{*-}D^0K^+ decays

Using 9 fb−1^{-1} of LHCb proton-proton collision data, this study presents the first observation of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- tetraquark state in the D∗−D0D^{*-}D^0 decay channel with a statistical significance exceeding 5σ5\sigma, confirming that existing Ds+D_s^+ resonances are insufficient to explain the B0→D∗−D0K+B^0 \to D^{*-}D^0K^+ data.

Original authors: LHCb collaboration, R. Aaij, M. Abdelfatah, A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb, C. Abellan Beteta, F. Abudinén, T. Ackernley, A. A. Adefisoye, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, P. Adlarson, C. Agapopoulou, C. A. Aidala, S.
Published 2026-10-27
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Original authors: LHCb collaboration, R. Aaij, M. Abdelfatah, A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb, C. Abellan Beteta, F. Abudinén, T. Ackernley, A. A. Adefisoye, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, P. Adlarson, C. Agapopoulou, C. A. Aidala, S. Akar, K. Akiba, H. Al Saleh, P. Albicocco, J. Albrecht, R. Aleksiejunas, F. Alessio, P. Alvarez Cartelle, A. A. Alves Jr, S. Amato, J. L. Amey, Y. Amhis, Z. Amos, L. An, L. Anderlini, P. Andreola, M. Andreotti, S. Andres Estrada, A. Anelli, D. Ao, C. Arata, F. Archilli, Z. Areg, M. Argenton, S. Arguedas Cuendis, L. Arnone, M. Artuso, E. Aslanides, R. Ataíde Da Silva, M. Atzeni, B. Audurier, J. A. Authier, D. Bacher, I. Bachiller Perea, S. Bachmann, M. Bachmayer, J. J. Back, M. Bai, Z. B. Bai, V. Balagura, A. Balboni, W. Baldini, Z. Baldwin, L. Balzani, H. Bao, J. Baptista de Souza Leite, C. Barbero Pretel, M. Barbetti, I. R. Barbosa, W. Barker, R. J. Barlow, M. Barnyakov, S. Baron, S. Barsuk, W. Barter, J. Bartz, S. Bashir, B. Batsukh, P. B. Battista, A. Bavarchee, A. 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Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ✨ This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer

Technical Summary: Observation of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- state in B0→D∗−D0K+B^0 \to D^{*-} D^0 K^+ decays

Problem and Motivation
The nature of exotic hadrons, particularly charged charmonium-like states with minimal quark content ccˉqqˉ′c\bar{c}q\bar{q}', remains a critical testing ground for nonperturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). The Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- state (historically referred to as Z(4430)−Z(4430)^-) was first reported by the Belle collaboration and later confirmed by LHCb in the hidden-charm decay channel B0→ψ(2S)K+π−B^0 \to \psi(2S) K^+ \pi^-. While its resonant nature and quantum numbers (JP=1+J^P = 1^+) were firmly established in this channel, its internal structure—whether a molecular D∗Dˉ1D^* \bar{D}_1 state, a compact tetraquark, or a kinematic effect like a triangle singularity—remains debated. A crucial discriminator between these models is the relative strength of its open-charm versus hidden-charm decays. To date, no open-charm decay mode of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- had been observed, leaving a gap in understanding its dynamics. This paper addresses the search for the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- in the open-charm decay channel B0→D∗−D0K+B^0 \to D^{*-} D^0 K^+.

Methodology
The analysis utilizes proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7,8,\sqrt{s} = 7, 8, and $13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−19 \text{ fb}^{-1}. The study focuses on the reconstruction of B0→D∗−D0K+B^0 \to D^{*-} D^0 K^+ candidates, where D∗−→D0π−D^{*-} \to D^0 \pi^- and the D0D^0 mesons are reconstructed via K±π∓K^\pm \pi^\mp or K±π∓π∓π±K^\pm \pi^\mp \pi^\mp \pi^\pm final states.

The analysis employs an unbinned maximum-likelihood amplitude analysis (Partial Wave Analysis) using the TF-PWA software. The signal amplitude is constructed as a coherent sum of resonant and nonresonant contributions across three two-body subsystems: D0K+D^0 K^+, D∗−K+D^{*-} K^+, and D∗−D0D^{*-} D^0.

  • D0K+D^0 K^+ System: Known excited Ds+D_s^+ resonances (Ds2∗(2573)+D_{s2}^*(2573)^+, Ds3∗(2860)+D_{s3}^*(2860)^+, Ds1∗(2700)+D_{s1}^*(2700)^+, and Ds1∗(2860)+D_{s1}^*(2860)^+) are included. The broad spin-1 components are described using a quasi-model-independent (QMI) method with cubic-spline interpolation to avoid biases inherent in simple Breit-Wigner sums.
  • D∗−K+D^{*-} K^+ System: Standard resonant contributions are considered.
  • D∗−D0D^{*-} D^0 System: The primary goal is to test for the presence of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- state. A relativistic Breit-Wigner function is introduced to model this contribution.

The fit is performed simultaneously across six independent subsamples (combinations of D0D^0 decay modes and Run 1/Run 2 data). Systematic uncertainties are evaluated by varying signal and background models, efficiency maps, and amplitude descriptions (including alternative K-matrix models and Blatt-Weisskopf radius variations).

Key Results

  1. Necessity of the Tetraquark: A reference fit including only known D0K+D^0 K^+ resonances fails to describe the data, specifically failing to reproduce a pronounced dip observed in the D∗−D0D^{*-} D^0 invariant mass spectrum near $4.4$ GeV. The χ2\chi^2 of this reference fit is $82.1$ for 64 bins.
  2. Observation of Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^-: The inclusion of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- state in the D∗−D0D^{*-} D^0 subsystem significantly improves the fit quality, reducing the χ2\chi^2 to $72.8$. The change in negative log-likelihood (2ΔNLL2\Delta NLL) is $-43.0$ with 2 degrees of freedom, corresponding to a statistical significance of 6.2σ6.2\sigma.
  3. Properties:
    • Spin-Parity: The JP=1+J^P = 1^+ hypothesis is preferred over 0−,1−,2±,0^-, 1^-, 2^\pm, and 3+3^+ assignments by more than 5σ5\sigma.
    • Mass and Width: When allowed to vary, the fitted mass is 4424±21±124424 \pm 21 \pm 12 MeV and the width is 145±39±17145 \pm 39 \pm 17 MeV. These are consistent with previous measurements in the ψ(2S)π−\psi(2S)\pi^- channel within 1.8σ1.8\sigma and 0.7σ0.7\sigma, respectively.
    • Fit Fraction: The Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- fit fraction is (1.3±0.4)%(1.3 \pm 0.4)\%. The analysis notes large negative interference effects with the QMI S-wave and nonresonant components, which are necessary to generate the observed dip structure.
  4. Exclusion of Other States: The inclusion of other exotic candidates such as Tccˉ1(4200)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4200)^-, Tccˉ1(3900)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(3900)^-, and Tcs1∗(2900)0T_{cs1}^*(2900)^0 yields marginal improvements in fit quality (significances of 3.6σ3.6\sigma, 1.3σ1.3\sigma, and 2.6σ2.6\sigma respectively when tested individually, diminishing further when included simultaneously). Upper limits on their fit fractions are established at the 95% confidence level.
  5. Branching Ratios: The product of branching fractions B(B0→Tccˉ1K+)×B(Tccˉ1→D∗−D0)\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to T_{c\bar{c}1} K^+) \times \mathcal{B}(T_{c\bar{c}1} \to D^{*-} D^0) is measured. The ratio of partial decay widths is determined as Γ(Tccˉ1→D∗−D0)/Γ(Tccˉ1→ψ(2S)π−)=0.96±0.29±0.22±0.57\Gamma(T_{c\bar{c}1} \to D^{*-} D^0) / \Gamma(T_{c\bar{c}1} \to \psi(2S)\pi^-) = 0.96 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.57.

Significance and Claims
The paper claims the first observation of the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- state in an open-charm decay channel (D∗−D0D^{*-} D^0). The observation is confirmed at a statistical significance exceeding 5σ5\sigma (specifically 5.3σ5.3\sigma after accounting for systematic uncertainties).

The authors state that the measured properties (mass, width, and spin-parity) are consistent with those previously measured in the hidden-charm ψ(2S)π−\psi(2S)\pi^- channel. Crucially, the measured ratio of partial widths to open-charm and hidden-charm final states is near unity. The paper concludes that this result disfavors the dominance of either decay mode and provides "important input for understanding its internal structure," though it explicitly notes that "dedicated theoretical calculations are still lacking" to interpret this specific ratio. The observation confirms that the Tccˉ1(4430)−T_{c\bar{c}1}(4430)^- is a genuine resonance with significant coupling to open-charm final states.

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