Probing hidden-bottom pentaquarks in fixed-target collisions at the LHC

Abstract In this paper we investigate the possibility of searching for the hidden - bottom pentaquark states in photon – induced interactions at the LHC. We consider the presence of the P b resonance in the s – channel of the γ p → ϒ p reaction and estimate its contribution for the exclusive ϒ photoproduction in the fixed - target mode of the LHC. Predictions for the total cross sections, rapidity and transverse momentum distributions are derived using the STARlight Monte Carlo considering P b − p , P b − H e and P b − A r fixed - target collisions at the LHC. Our results indicate that the presence of the P b resonance implies an enhancement in the rapidity distribution in the kinematical range covered by the LHCb detector. We demonstrate that the P b contribution for the ϒ photoproduction becomes dominant if kinematical cuts are imposed on the rapidity and transverse momentum of the final state. These results indicate that an experimental analysis of the ϒ photoproduction in fixed – target collisions can provide complementary and independent checks of the existence of these states, and help to understand their underlying nature.