The Status of Molecules

Abstract

This report summarizes the experimental and theoretical status of hadronic molecules, which are weakly-bound states of two or more hadrons. We begin with a brief history of the subject and discuss a few good candidates, and then abstract some signatures for molecules which may be of interest in the classification of possible molecule states. Next we argue that a more general understanding of $2\to 2$ hadron-hadron scattering amplitudes will be crucial for molecule searches, and discuss some of our recent work in this area. We conclude with a discussion of a few more recent molecule candidates (notably the $f_0(1710)$) which are not well established as molecules but satisfy some of the expected signatures.

Comments: (Presented at the XXIX Recontres de Moriond, Meribel, France, 19-26 March 1994), 10 pages, LATEX, ORNL-CCIP-94-08 / RAL-94-056