Triangle singularity in the $B^-\to K^-\pi^0X(3872)$ reaction and sensitivity to the $X(3872)$ mass

Abstract

We have done a study of the $B^- \to K^- \pi^0 X(3872)$ reaction by means of a triangle mechanism via the chain of reactions: $B^- \to K^- D^{*0}\bar D^{*0}$; $D^{*0} \to \pi^0 D^0$; $D^0\bar D^{*0}\to X(3872)$. We show that this mechanism generates a triangle singularity in the $\pi^0 X(3872)$ invariant mass for a very narrow window of the $X(3872)$ mass, around the present measured values, and show that the peak positions and the shape of the mass distributions are sensitive to the $X(3872)$ mass, such that a measurement of the reaction can serve to improve on the present values of this mass. In particular, we point out that the $X(3872)$ mass relative to the $D^0\bar D^{*0}$ threshold may be extracted from the asymmetry of the $\pi^0X$ line shape.