Partial decay widths of negative parity baryons in the 1/Nc expansion

The partial decay widths of negative parity excited baryons into pseudo-scalar mesons are studied in the framework of the 1/Nc expansion of QCD to order 1/Nc, and to first order in SU(3) symmetry breaking by the quark masses. In particular, the S and D wave decays of excited baryons in 70-plet of spin-flavor SU(6) are analyzed using the empirical partial decay widths from the Particle Data Group. The importance of two-body effects in the decay amplitudes can be elucidated. Several parameter free relations between partial decay widths are found and tested. The consistency of state-mixing as obtained from the analysis of the decays and from the analysis of the masses is addressed.