We measure the neutral D total forward cross section and the differential cross sections as function of Feynman-x ($x_F$) and transverse momentum squared for 500 GeV/c $\pi^-$-nucleon interactions. The results are obtained from 88990+-460 reconstructed neutral D mesons from Fermilab experiment E791 using the decay channels $D\to K^-\pi^+$ and $D\to K^-\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+$ (and charge conjugates). We extract fit parameters from the differential cross sections and provide the first direct measurement of the turnover point in the $x_F$ distribution, 0.0131+-0.0038. We measure an absolute $D^0 + \bar{D^0}$ ($x_F > 0$) cross section of 15.4+1.8-2.3 microbarns/nucleon (assuming a linear A dependence). The differential and total forward cross sections are compared to theoretical predictions and to results of previous experiments.
This paper presents measurements of the production of Ds- mesons relative to Ds+ mesons as functions of x_F and square of p_t for a sample of 2445 Ds decays to phi pi. The Ds mesons were produced in Fermilab experiment E791 with 500 GeV/c pi- mesons incident on one platinum and four carbon foil targets. The acceptance-corrected integrated asymmetry in the x_F range -0.1 to 0.5 for Ds+- mesons is 0.032 +- 0.022 +- 0.022, consistent with no net asymmetry. The results, as functions of x_F and square of p_t, are compared to predictions and to the large production asymmetry observed for D+- mesons in the same experiment. These comparisons support the hypothesis that production asymmetries come from the fragmentation process and not from the charm quark production itself.
The nuclear dependence for 800 GeV/c proton production of neutron D mesons has been measured near xF=0 in Experiment 789 at Fermilab. D mesons from beryllium and gold targets were detected with a pair spectrometer and a silicon vertex detector via their decay D→Kπ. No nuclear dependence is found, with a measured α=1.02±0.03±0.02. The measured differential cross section, dσ/dxF, for neutral-D-meson production at 〈xF〉=0.031 is 58±3±7 μb/nucleon. The integrated cross section obtained by extrapolation of the measured cross section to all xF is 17.7±0.9±3.4 μb/nucleon and is consistent with previous measurements.