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.).
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 .
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.
We present asymmetries between the production of D+ and D- mesons in Fermilab experiment E791 as a function of xF and pt**2. The data used here consist of 74,000 fully-reconstructed charmed mesons produced by a 500 GeV/c pi- beam on C and Pt foils. The measurements are compared to results of models which predict differences between the production of heavy-quark mesons that have a light quark in common with the beam (leading particles) and those that do not (non-leading particles). While the default models do not agree with our data, we can reach agreement with one of them, PYTHIA, by making a limited number of changes to parameters used.
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.
The upgraded Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF II) has a high bandwidth available for track based triggers. This capability in conjunction with the unprecedented integrated luminosity in excess of 1 fb −1 enables detailed studies of charm hadron production. CDF is now releasing first measurements of the prompt charm meson pair cross sections, which give access to QCD mechanisms by which charm quarks are produced in proton anti-proton collisions. Recent results on the spin alignment of J/ψ and ψ(2S) as well as on the relative production of the χc1(P1) and χc2(1P) challenge our understanding of the fragmentation of charm quarks into charmonium states.
We report differential cross sections for the production of D*(2010) produced in 500 GeV/c pi^- nucleon interactions from experiment E791 at Fermilab, as functions of Feynman-x (x_F) and transverse momentum squared (p_T^2). We also report the D* +/- charge asymmetry and spin-density matrix elements as functions of these variables. Investigation of the spin-density matrix elements shows no evidence of polarization. The average values of the spin alignment are \eta= 0.01 +- 0.02 and -0.01 +- 0.02 for leading and non-leading particles, respectively.
We present evidence for the diffractive processes nu_mu Fe -> mu^- D_s^+ (D_s^*+) Fe and nubar_mu Fe -> mu^+ D_s^- (D_s^*-) Fe using the Fermilab SSQT neutrino beam and the Lab E neutrino detector. We observe the neutrino trident reactions nu_mu Fe -> nu_mu mu^- mu^+ Fe and nubar_mu Fe -> nubar_mu mu^+ mu^- Fe at rates consistent with Standard Model expectations. We see no evidence for neutral-current production of J/psi via either diffractive or deep inelastic scattering mechanisms.
The inclusive cross section for charged-D* production by 205-GeV/c π− mesons incident on a beryllium target was measured with a two-arm spectrometer triggered by prompt muons. Using the mass-difference technique often employed in D* studies, a signal of 31±11 charged D*’s was isolated; it includes contributions from both the D*+ and D*− charged modes in correlation with triggering muons of the proper charge. This corresponds to an inclusive charged-D* production cross section of 220±77−57+77 μb per Be nucleus or 24±9−6+9 μb per nucleon when the cross section is scaled linearly with atomic mass number. The first error is statistical and the second is systematic.
We report a measurement of the inclusive D/D̄ production cross section in 800 GeV/ c proton-proton interactions. The experiment used the high resolution bubble chamber LEBC exposed to an 800 GeV/ c proton beam at the Fermilab MPS. We obtain σ( D/ D ̄ )=59 −15 +22 μ b (statistical errors), having analysed 25% of the total data sample. Comparison with 400 GeV/ c pp dat a obtained with LEBC at CERN shows a D/D̄ cross section increase by a factor of 1.7 −0.5 +0.7 . This is in good agreement with fusion model calculations.
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