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U.S. Department of Energy
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Associated electron-muon events from high energy hadronic collisions

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6688802
The inclusive reaction p + N ..-->.. e + ..mu.. + X was measured at an energy of 38.8 GeV (center of mass). Data representing a total luminosity of 13.4 inverse femtobarns (13.4 x 10/sup 39/ cm/sup -2/) were analyzed. Three associated electron-muon events were observed. The observed signal was 0.02 +/- 0.015 of the Drell-Yan di-muon production. The expected number of e..mu.. events from tau lepton pair production and decay was calculated to be 0.5 +/- 0.1. A two sigma upper limit for (lepton family number violating) two body resonant decays to e = ..mu.. was obtained (<0.020 +/- 0.015 x sigma/sub Drell-Yan/ for masses above 7 Gev at 0.95 C.L.) and interpreted with a physically reasonable model. No prompt e..mu.. events attributable to charm production and decay, or bottom production and decay, were seen. This corresponded to a two sigma upper limit for charm pair production of <300 x sigma/sub Drell-Yan/ for pair masses above 11 GeV. In terms of an absolute cross section, this production limit is <200 picobarn for charm pair masses above 11 GeV. On the other band, the momenta of three candidate events suggested a possible e/sup +/-/K/sup -/+/ source that acted as a non-prompt source of e..mu.. events. A p + N ..-->.. D + antiD ..-->.. e + K ..-->.. e + ..mu.. interpretation of these candidate events was consistent with the lower limit on charm production obtained with the prompt e..mu.. rate.
Research Organization:
Washington Univ., Seattle (USA)
OSTI ID:
6688802
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English