Measuring Quantum-Chromodynamic Anomalies in Hadronic Transitions between Quarkonium States

Abstract

It is argued that the ratio $\frac{\Gamma ({\left(\overline{Q}Q\right)}^{\prime }\to (\overline{Q}Q\left)\eta \right)}{\Gamma ({\left(\overline{Q}Q\right)}^{\prime }\to (\overline{Q}Q\left)\pi \pi \right)}$ of hadronic transition rates between heavy quarkonium states is calculable within quantum chromodynamics in terms of triangle anomalies in the divergence of the axial current and in the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. In the case of transitions between ${\psi }^{\prime }$ and $\frac{J}{\psi }$ the present analysis is consistent with the data. More reliable test can be provided by experimental study of the transitions between ${\Upsilon }^{\prime \prime }$ and $\Upsilon$.