Chiral nonet mixing in $$\pi \eta $$ scattering

AbstractThe generalized linear sigma model for mixing among two- and four-quark components of scalar (and pseudoscalar) mesons below and above 1 GeV is applied to the $$\pi \eta $$ π η channel in which the isovector scalars $$a_0(980)$$ a 0 ( 980 ) and $$a_0(1450)$$ a 0 ( 1450 ) are probed. In the leading order, the model parameters have been previously fixed by various low-energy experimental data, and then applied to $$\pi \pi $$ π π and $$\pi K$$ π K channels in which the properties of the light and broad $$\sigma $$ σ and $$\kappa $$ κ mesons are extracted in agreement with estimates reported in the literature. With the same parameters fixed in the leading order, in the present work the prediction of the model for the $$\pi \eta $$ π η scattering amplitude in the elastic region is given and unitarized with the K-matrix method. The poles of the unitarized scattering amplitude, which determine the mass and decay width of $$a_0(980)$$ a 0 ( 980 ) and $$a_0(1450)$$ a 0 ( 1450 ) are computed. It is found that the model predicts an isovector scalar state below 1 GeV, with mass 984 ± 6 MeV and decay width 108 ± 30 MeV which is a clear signal for the $$a_0(980)$$ a 0 ( 980 ) . The $$a_0$$ a 0 pole extracted in this work, further supports the plausibility of the mixing patterns for scalar mesons predicted by this model according to which there is a significant underlying mixing among scalars below and above 1 GeV, with those below 1 GeV being generally of four-quark nature while those above 1 GeV being overall closer to quark–antiquark states. Predictions for various scattering lengths as well as for properties of $$a_0(1450)$$ a 0 ( 1450 ) are also presented.