The coupling of a neutral hybrid $\{1,3,5\dots {\}}^{-+}$ exotic particle (or current) to two neutral (hybrid) meson particles with the same $J^{\mathrm{PC}}$ and $J=0\mathrm{}$ is proved to be sub-leading to the usual large-$N_c$ QCD counting. The coupling of the same exotic particle to certain two (hybrid) meson currents with the same $J^{\mathrm{PC}}$ and $J=0\mathrm{}$ is also sub-leading. The decay of a $\{1,3,5\dots {\}}^{-+}$ hybrid particle to $\eta {\pi }^0,{\eta }^{\prime }{\pi }^0,{\eta }^{\prime }\eta ,\eta \mathrm{}\left(1295\right)\mathrm{}{\pi }^0,$ $\pi {\mathrm{}\left(1300\right)\mathrm{}}^0{\pi }^0,\eta \mathrm{}\left(1440\right)\mathrm{}{\pi }^0,a_0{\mathrm{}\left(980\right)\mathrm{}}^0\sigma$ or $f_0\mathrm{}\left(980\right)\mathrm{}\sigma$ is sub-leading, assuming that these final state particles are (hybrid) mesons in the limit of large $N_c.$

• Received 11 February 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.70.016004