A Mesonic Analog of the Deuteron

Using the LAMP model for nuclear quark structure, we calculate the binding energy and quark structure of a B meson merging with a D meson. Our variational calculation shows that a molecular, deuteron-like state structure changes rather abruptly, as the separation between the two mesons decreases, and at a separation of about 0.14 fm, the hadronic system transforms into a four-quark bound state, although one maintaining an internal structure rather than that of a four-quark "bag." Unlike the deuteron, pion exchange does not provide any contribution to the ≈ 150 MeV binding.