Light 1−+ exotics: Molecular resonances

in the search for nonconventional (non-qq¯) meson states are the π1(1400) and π1(1600) exotic candidates. Should they exist, mounting theoretical arguments suggest that they are tetraquark molecular resonances excitable by meson rescattering. We report a new tetraquark calculation within a model field theory approximation to Quantum Chromodynamics in the Coulomb gauge supporting this conjecture. We also strengthen this claim by consistently contrasting results with exotic state predictions for hybrid (qq¯g) mesons within the same theoretical framework. Our findings confirm that molecular-like configurations involving two color singlets (a resonance, not a bound state) are clearly favored over hybrid or color-exotic tetraquark meson (qq¯qq¯ atoms) formation. Finally, to assist needed further experimental searches we document a useful off-plane correlator for establishing the structure of these exotic systems along with similar, but anticipated much narrower, states that should exist in the charmonium and bottomonium spectra.