Exotic meson-meson molecules and compact four--quark states

We present an exact calculation of $S$ and $P$ wave $QQ\bar n\bar n$ states using different standard nonrelativistic quark--quark potentials. We explore in detail the charm and bottom sectors looking for bound states that could be measured within existing facilities. Against the proliferation of four--quark states sometimes predicted in the literature, we found a small number of candidates to be stable. We analyze their properties in a trial to distinguish between compact and molecular states. Possible decay modes are discussed.