DD¯* scattering and χc1(3872) in nuclear matter

Abstract

We study the behavior of the χc1(3872), also known as X(3872), in dense nuclear matter. We begin from a picture in vacuum of the X(3872) as a purely molecular (DD¯∗-c.c.) state, generated as a bound state from a heavy-quark symmetry leading-order interaction between the charmed mesons, and analyze the DD¯∗ scattering T matrix (TDD¯∗) inside of the medium. Next, we consider also mixed-molecular scenarios and, in all cases, we determine the corresponding X(3872) spectral function and the DD¯∗ amplitude, with the mesons embedded in the dense environment. We find important nuclear corrections for TDD¯∗ and the pole position of the resonance, and discuss the dependence of these results on the DD¯∗ molecular component in the X(3872) wave function. These predictions could be tested in the finite-density regime that can be accessed in the future CBM and PANDA experiments at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR).