We present total and differential cross sections for charm mesons produced in 600 GeV/ c π - emulsion interactions. Fits to d 2 σ / dx F dp T 2 ∞ (1−| x F |) n exp (- bp T 2 ) for 676 electronically reconstructed D mesons with x F >0 give n =4.25±0.24 ( stat .)±0.23 ( syst .) and b =0.76±0.03±0.03 ( GeV / c ) -2 . The total inclusive D + and D 0 cross sections are σ ( π - N → D ± ; x F >0) = 8.66±0.46±1.96 μb nucleon and σ(π - N→D 0 D 0 ; x F >0)=22.05±1.37±4.82μb nucleonk, where a linear dependence on the mean atomic weight of the target is assumed. These results are compared to next-to-leading order QCD predictions.
A search for charm production in the coherent diffractive dissociation reaction pSi→XSi was carried out for the modes D 0 → K − π + , D 0 → K − π + π + π − , and D + → K − π + π + . No charm signals were observed, and the 90% confidence level upper limit for coherent charm pair production was determined to be 26 μ b per silicon nucleus. The results are interpreted as an upper limit of 0.2% on the amount of intrinsic charm in the proton.
We report results on D 0 and D + production in proton-emulsion interactions at s =38.7 GeV. A fit to the form (1−| x F |) n exp (−bp 2 T ) yields n=6.9 +1.9 −1.8 and b=0.84 +0.10 −0.08 (GeV/ c ) −2 . The total inclusive cross section, is assuming linear A dependence, is measured to be 38±3(stat.) ±13 (sys.) μ b for the D 0 and 38±9±14 μ b for the D + . A comparison of these results with previous measurements indicates that nuclear effects do not strongly influence charm production. The predictions of QCD are in good agreement with our data.
Charged hadronic four-body decays of D 0 mesons have been studied in the E687 photoproduction experiment at Fermilab. Branching ratios relative to the D 0 → K − π + π + π − decay mode for the Cabibbo-suppressed decays D 0 → π − π + π − π + , D 0 → K − K + π − π + have been measured and the first evidence of the D 0 → K − K + K − π + decay mode is reported. An analysis of the D 0 → K − K + π − π + resonance structure is also presented.
Results for the Cabibbo suppressed semileptonic decays D 0 → π − e + ν and D 0 → π − μ + ν (charge conjugates are implied) are reported by Fermilab photoproduction experiment E687. We find 45.4 ± 13.3 events in the electron mode and 45.6 ± 11.8 in the muon mode. The relative branching ratio BR (D 0 →π − l + v) BR (D 0 →K − l + v) for the combined sample is measured to be 0.101 ± 0.020 (stat.) ± 0.003 (syst.) 14 .
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.