Even parity theta-pentaquark and stable strange nuclear matter

The newly discovered exotic {Theta} baryon of mass 1540 MeV (and very small width) truly has a very low mass, if it is a pentaquark system of even parity. A schematic model in which the coherent interaction of u{bar s} and d{bar s} pairs leads to a very large residual (non-confining) attractive interaction is introduced. This collective vibrational model accounts for the mass and small decay width to the KN channel, but yields a significant coupling to the virtual K*N channel. The schematic model predicts an attractive {Theta}-nucleon interaction strong enough to bind a {Theta} particle to a nucleus in a state that is stable against decay via strong interactions. The discovery of {Theta}-nuclei could be a definitive proof that the {Theta} parity is even