Heavy baryons in the large Nc limit

Abstract It is shown that in the large N c limit heavy baryon masses can be estimated quantitatively in a 1 / N c expansion using the Hartree approximation. The results are compared with available lattice calculations for different values of the ratio between the square root of the string tension and the heavy quark mass σ / m Q . These estimates implement important 1 / N c corrections and assume a string tension independent of N c . Using a potential adjusted to agree with the one obtained in lattice QCD, a variational analysis of the ground state spin averaged baryon mass is performed using Gaussian Hartree wave functions. Relativistic corrections through the quark kinetic energy are included. The results provide good estimates for the first sub-leading in 1 / N c corrections.