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A Measurement of the Lifetimes of $$D^+_s$$ and $D^+$ Mesons in High-Energy Photoproduction

Thesis/Dissertation ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1427754· OSTI ID:1427754

Measurements of the lifetimes of the $$D^+_s$$ and $D^+$ mesons are described. Both charmed mesons are observed to decay to the state $$\phi^0 \pi^+$$. The data were obtained in Fermilab experiment E687, a photoproduction experiment with a mean photon energy of 220 GeV. The lifetimes were obtained by using a maximum likelihood technique on an event by event basis for the mass and proper time. This measurement produced a $$D^+_s$$ lifetime of 0.50 ± 0.06 ± 0.03 picoseconds and a $D^+$ lifetime of 0.90 ± 0.10 ± 0.05 picoseconds. (The first error is statistical error, while the second is systematic error.) Another decay mode of the $$D^+_s$$ meson, where the $$D^+_s$$ decays to $$\phi^0 \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^+$$, was also observed. The branching fraction of this mode relative to the $$D^+_s \to \phi^0 \pi^+$$ mode was measured to be 0.58 ± 0.20 ± 0.10. An upper limit for this ratio was determined for the $D^+$ mode of $$\phi^0 \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^+$$ compared to $$D^+ \to \phi^0 \pi^+$$ of 0.60 (90% confidence level). The lifetime and branching ratio measurements are compared to other experimental results as well as the theoretical considerations.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359
OSTI ID:
1427754
Report Number(s):
UMI-91-09531; FERMILAB-THESIS-1990-01; 306762
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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