On the Mechanism of Open-Flavor Strong Decays

Abstract

Open-flavor strong decays are mediated by $q\bar{q}$ pair production, which is known to occur dominantly with \3p0 quantum numbers. The relation of the phenomenological \3p0 model of these decays to ``microscopic" QCD decay mechanisms has never been clearly established. In this paper we investigate $q\bar{q}$ meson decay amplitudes assuming pair production from the scalar confining interaction (sKs) and from one gluon exchange (OGE). sKs pair production predicts decay amplitudes of approximately the correct magnitude and D/S amplitude ratios in $b_1\to \omega \pi$ and $a_1\to \rho \pi$ which are close to experiment. The OGE decay amplitude is found to be subdominant in most cases, a notable exception being ${}^3$P${}_0\to {}^1$S${}_0+{}^1$S${}_0$. The full sKs~+~OGE amplitudes differ significantly from \3p0 model predictions in some channels and can be distinguished experimentally, for example through an accurate comparison of the D/S amplitude ratios in $b_1\to \omega \pi$ and $a_1\to \rho \pi$.

Comments: 44 pages, 22 eps figures, RevTex, complete postscript file available at http://csep2.phy.ornl.gov/theory_group/people/barnes/pubs/abs.ps