We report evidence for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay of the charm baryon Λ c + into the final state pK − K + . The analysis is performed on data collected by high energy photoproduction experiment E687 during the 1990–1991 Fermilab fixed target run. The branching ratio of the decay Λ c + → pK − K + relative to the non-suppressed Λ c + → pK − π + is measured to be BR( pK − K + / pK − π + ) = 0.096 ± 0.029 ± 0.010. The upper limit of the decay into pø relative to the inclusive pK − K + decay is measured to be BR( pø / pK − K + < 58% at the 90% confidence level.
We report on the study of charm baryons decaying to Λ c + : Λ c ★+ (2625) → Λ c + π + π − , Λ c ★+ (2593) → Λ c + π + π − , Σ c 0 → Λ c + π − and Σ c ++ → Λ c + π + . We present a confirmation of the state Λ c ∗+ (2593) and determine its mass difference to be M ( Λ c ★+ (2593)) − M ( Λ c + ) = 309.2 ± 0.7 ± 0.3 MeV/ c 2 . We determine the lower limit on the resonant branching ratio to be BR (Λ c ★+ (2593) → Σ c π ± Λ c ★+ (2593) → Λ c + π + π − ) > 0.51 (90% c.l.). We also measure the mass differences M ( Σ c 0 ) − M ( Λ c + ) = 166.6±0.5±0.6 MeV/ c 2 and M ( Σ c ++ ) − M ( Λ c + ) = 167.6±0.6±0.6 MeV/ c 2 . Finally, we measure the relative photoproduction cross sections for Λ c ★+ and Σ c with respect to the (inclusive) photoproduction cross section for Λ c + .
We report measurements of charm particle production asymmetries from the Fermilab photoproduction experiment E687. An asymmetry in the rate of production of charm versus anticharm particles is expected to arise primarily from fragmentation effects. We observe statistically significant asymmetries in the photoproduction of D + , D ∗+ and D 0 mesons and find small (but statistically weak) asymmetries in the production of the D s + meson and the Λ c + baryon. Our inclusive photoproduction asymmetries are compared to predictions from nonperturbative models of charm quark fragmentation.