Test of the multiquark structure of a1(1420) in strong two-body decays

We present an analysis of strong two-body decays of the a(1)(1420) with J(PC) = 1(++) recently reported by the COMPASS Collaboration at CERN. Following the interpretation of the COMPASS Collaboration that the a(1) is an unusual state with a four-quark q (q) over bars (s) over bar structure we consider two possible configurations for this state-hadronic molecular and color diquark-antidiquark structures. We find that the dominant decay mode of the a(1) is the decay into K and K*. In particular, we calculate that the four decay modes a(1) -> VP with VP = K*K-+/-(-/+), K*(0)(K) over bar (0), (K) over bar*K-0(0) together give a dominant contribution to the measured total width of about 150 MeV. The observational mode a(1) -> f(0)(980) + pi(0) is significantly suppressed by one order of magnitude.