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.
Elastic ω-meson photoproduction on protons has been measured from 46 to 180 GeV. The cross section is approximately constant with photon energy and averages 1.10 ± 0.08 μb. The t dependence of the differential cross section is consistent with A exp(bt), where b=8.4±0.7 GeV−2. The photon-omega coupling constant, obtained from a normalization of hadron elastic-scattering cross sections to the photoproduction data of this experiment (with use of vector-meson dominance and an additive quark model), is γω24π=5.4±0.4.
The elastic photoproduction cross sections for ρ and ϕ mesons from protons have been measured from 30 to 180 GeV. The energy dependences agree well with predictions made by using vector-meson dominance and an additive quark model. The ρ cross section is approximately constant with energy while the ϕ cross section rises from 0.5 to 0.7 μb with increasing energy.
The photon total cross section on protons has been measured with high precision in the Fermilab tagged-photon beam for photon energies from 18 to 185 GeV. The cross section decreases to a broad minimum near 40 GeV, and then rises by about 4 μb over the remainder of the range. A ρ+ω+ϕ vector-dominance model (normalized to low-energy data) falls below the high-energy results by 2 to 6 μb, suggesting a contribution from charm-anticharm states.
We have measured total hadronic photoproduction cross sections on carbon, copper, and lead. Tagged-photon energies ranged from 20 to 185 GeV for copper and from 45 to 82 GeV for carbon and lead. The energy and A dependence of shadowing were computed by comparing these results to the hydrogen cross section as measured nearly simultaneously with the same apparatus. We observed somewhat more shadowing than did most experiments at lower photon energies.
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.
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 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 + .