Eur. Phys. J. A (2008) 38: 239-245
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2008-10673-7

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Testing the nature of the Λ(1520) in the J/ψ → K^-p and J/ψ → π⁺π^-Λ reactions

¹ Departamento de Fısica Teórica and IFIC, Centro Mixto Universidad de Valencia-CSIC, Institutos de Investigación de Paterna, Aptdo. 22085, 46071, Valencia, Spain
² Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 918(4), 100049, Beijing, China

^* e-mail: lsgeng@ific.uv.es

Received: 30 July 2008
Revised: 24 September 2008
Published online: 13 November 2008

Abstract

We study the reactions J/ψ → K ^- p and J/ψ → π⁺π^-Λ with a unitary chiral approach. We predict the ratio of the invariant-mass distributions of these two reactions at the Λ(1520) peak position, which is free of the unknown production mechanism and reflects only the properties of the Λ(1520) . An experimental measurement of this ratio will provide the couplings of the Λ(1520) to its decay channels, allowing to test the predictions of the chiral unitary approach on this resonance, which appears as dynamically generated in that approach.