Observation of a Resonant Structure in e(+)e(-) -> K+ K- pi(0)pi(0)

Abstract

A partial-wave analysis is performed for the process e(+)e(-) -> K+ K- pi(0)pi(0) at the center-of-mass energies ranging from 2.000 to 2.644 GeV. The data samples of e(+)e(-) collisions, collected by the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider with a total integrated luminosity of 300 pb(-1), are analyzed. The total Born cross sections for the process e(+)e(-) -> K+ K- pi(0)pi(0) as well as the Born cross sections for the subprocesses e(+)e(-) -> phi pi(0)pi(0), K+(1460)K-, K-1(+)(1400)K-, K-1(+)(1270)K-, and K*(+) (892)K*(-) (892), are measured versus the center-of-mass energy. The corresponding results for e(+)e(-) -> K+ K- pi(0)pi(0) and phi pi(0)pi(0) are consistent with those of BABAR with better precision. By analyzing the cross sections for the tour subprocesses, K+(1460)K-, K-1(+)(1400)K-, K-1(+)(1270)K-, and K*(+) (892)K*(-) (892) a structure with mass M = (2126.5 +/- 16.8 +/- 12.4) MeV/c(2) and width Gamma = (106.9 +/- 32.1 +/- 28.1) NleV is observed with an overall statistical significance of 6.3 sigma, although with very limited significance in the subprocesses e(+)e(-) -> K-1(+)(1270)K-, and K*(+) (892)K*(-) (892). The resonant parameters of the observed structure suggest it can be identified with the phi(2170), thus the results provide valuable input to the internal nature of the phi(2170).