Formation of hidden-charm pentaquarks in photon-nucleon collisions

Abstract: The cross section for formation in $\gamma + p$ collisions of the recently found hidden-charm pentaquark states $P_c(4380)$ and $P_c(4450)$ is discussed and estimated. The studies of these resonances in photon beam experiments can be complementary to those in the LHCb experiment setting, and may be more advantageous for measurement of their additional decay channels. It is pointed out that both the relative importance of such decays and the yield of the resonances in the $\gamma + p$ collisions are sensitive to the internal dynamics of the pentaquarks and can resolve between theoretical models. Specific numerical estimates are discussed within a simple `baryocharmonium' model, where the the observed $P_c$ resonances are composites of $J/\psi$ and excited nucleon states with the quantum numbers of $N(1440)$ and $N(1520)$.