We have studied D* production mechanisms using data from a photoproduction experiment at the Fermilab Tagged Photon Spectrometer. A large sample of charged D*’s was selected via the clean signature of the cascade decay D*→D0π+ and subsequently D0→K−π+ or D0→K−π+π0. The cross section for the process γp→(D*++anything)p at an average energy of 105 GeV was measured to be 88±32 nb. Only (11±7)% of D*’s were found to be consistent with being accompanied solely by a D¯* or a D¯; the remaining events contain additional particles. The distribution of the production angle of the D* in the photon-fragmentation-system center of mass is strongly anisotropic and consistent with the form f(θ*)=cos4θ*. We set a limit on the associated-production-process cross section σ(γp→(D¯*−+anything)Λc) x)<60 nb (90% C.L.).
Inelastic and elastic $J/\psi$ photoproduction on hydrogen are investigated at a mean energy of 105 GeV. The inelastic cross section with $E_{\psi} / E_{\gamma}$ < 0.9 is significantly lower than the corresponding result for muoproduction on iron targets, but is consistent with a second-order perturbative QCD calculation.
Measurements of elastic photoproduction cross sections for the J / ψ meson from 100 GeV to 375 GeV are presented. The results indicate that the cross section increases slowly in this range. The shape of the energy dependence agrees well with the photon-gluon fusion model prediction.
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