# BES Results on Inclusive D Meson Decays

## I Introduction

In an era of high precision experiments such as the B factories and the LHC, accurate measurements of b-flavored particles can benefit from a better knowledge of charm decays and their branching fractions. The inclusive decay $`\mathrm{D}\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ has not been measured <sup>*</sup><sup>*</sup>*Throughout this paper, charge conjugation is implied.. This branching fraction can serve as an independent check of the existence of additional exclusive decays of D mesons that contain a $`\varphi `$ meson, and for $`\mathrm{B}_\mathrm{s}^0`$ physics studies that use the $`\varphi \mathrm{}`$ pair to tag the $`\mathrm{B}_\mathrm{s}^0`$ meson. In addition, this branching fraction would be helpful in understanding the charm meson decay mechanisms.

In this paper, we report a first measurement of the inclusive $`\varphi `$ decay branching fractions of charged and neutral $`\mathrm{D}`$ mesons and a new search for the exclusive semileptonic decay $`\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{e}^+\overline{\nu }`$.

## II Data Sample and Analysis Methods

This measurement is based on 22.3 $`\mathrm{pb}^1`$ of data collected in $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}`$ annihilations at $`\sqrt{s}=4.03`$ GeV at the BEPC during the 1992-1994. The BES detector has been described in detail elsewhere.

At $`\sqrt{s}`$=4.03 GeV charm mesons D<sup>0</sup> and D<sup>+</sup> are produced via

$`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{D}^+\mathrm{D}^{},\mathrm{D}^0\overline{\mathrm{D}^0},`$   
$`\mathrm{D}^+\mathrm{D}^{},\mathrm{D}^+\mathrm{D}^{},\mathrm{D}^0\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}`$   
$`\mathrm{D}^+\mathrm{D}^{},\mathrm{D}^0\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}`$   

followed by cascade decays of the D mesons. However, the D<sup>∗-</sup> can decay either to $`\pi ^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}`$ or $`\pi ^0(\gamma )\mathrm{D}^{}`$, so that reconstructing a D meson does not necessarily determine whether the recoiling D meson is charged or neutral. In order to measure specifically $`B(\mathrm{D}^0\varphi \mathrm{X})`$ and $`B(\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{X})`$, the numbers of neutral and charged D mesons recoiling against a reconstructed D meson, and the type of the D meson from which the $`\varphi `$ mesons come, must be determined. To this end two methods have been developed and are used to measure the inclusive branching fractions of the D mesons.

### A The $`\mathrm{D}^0`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^+`$ combinative double tag method (CDTM)

To measure inclusive $`\varphi `$ branching fractions of the $`\mathrm{D}^0`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^+`$ mesons, the $`\varphi `$ is searched in the recoil side against a fully reconstructed D meson, and the numbers of $`\varphi `$ events against the $`\mathrm{D}^0`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^+`$ decays, N$`{}_{}{}^{\varphi }{}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}{}^{}`$, N$`{}_{}{}^{\varphi }{}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}{}^{}`$, are determined, which can be related via

$$\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^\varphi =ϵ\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^\mathrm{D}^{}B(\mathrm{D}^{}\varphi \mathrm{X})+ϵ\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^{\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}}B(\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}\varphi \mathrm{X}),$$
(1)   
$$\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^\varphi =ϵ\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^\mathrm{D}^{}B(\mathrm{D}^{}\varphi \mathrm{X})+ϵ\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^{\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}}B(\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}\varphi \mathrm{X}),$$
(2)   
to the branching fractions of their decays, B($`\mathrm{D}^{}\varphi \mathrm{X}`$) and B($`\mathrm{D}^0\varphi \mathrm{X}`$), where $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^\mathrm{D}^{}`$, $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^{\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}}`$, $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^\mathrm{D}^{}`$, and $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^{\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}}`$ are respectively the numbers of $`\mathrm{D}^{}`$ and $`\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}`$ decays on the recoil against $`\mathrm{D}^+`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^0`$ tags, and $`ϵ`$ is the detection efficiency of the $`\varphi `$. The values of $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^\mathrm{D}^{}`$, $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^0}^{\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}}`$, $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^\mathrm{D}^{}`$, and $`\mathrm{N}_{\mathrm{D}_{\mathrm{tag}}^+}^{\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}}`$ are determined from a measurement of the total production cross-sections of ractions $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{D}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}^{}},\mathrm{D}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}}`$ at 4.03 GeV by BES.

### B The recoil charge method

At $`\sqrt{s}=`$4.03 GeV, $`\mathrm{D}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}^{}}`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}}`$ pairs are produced with no additional charged tracks. Charged pions arising from direct D decays are very slow, and are mostly undetected in the BES detector. As a result, only decay products of the $`\mathrm{D}^+`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^0`$ are visible for most events. Let Q<sub>D</sub> be the charm flavor of the reconstructed D meson, and Q<sub>rec</sub> be the total charge of tracks recoiling against this D meson. The Q<sub>rec</sub> distribution for D<sup>0</sup> (D<sup>+</sup>) centers at 0 (1), and has a spread of $`\pm `$1. The recoil charge method selects neutral and charged D mesons according to

$$Q_{rec}=0,\mathrm{or}Q_{rec}=Q_\mathrm{D}=1\mathrm{for}\mathrm{D}^0tags$$
(3)   
and

$$Q_{rec}Q_\mathrm{D}<0\mathrm{for}\mathrm{D}^+tags$$
(4)   
For inclusive D decays, the efficiency and the misidentification rate are 0.74$`\pm `$0.02 and 0.25$`\pm `$0.02, respectively, as obtained from Monte Carlo simulations, and are approximately the same for both charged and neutral D mesons. These numbers are confirmed using kinematically selected data events $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{D}^+\mathrm{D}^{}`$ and $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\mathrm{D}^0\overline{\mathrm{D}^0}`$. For events in which a D tag and a recoil $`\varphi `$ has been fully reconstructed, the efficiency of the recoil charge method is improved over that of the inclusive D events. A Monte Carlo study of various D decay modes into final states containing a $`\varphi `$ has been performed, and the variations among their efficiencies are included in the systematic errors. For these events, the recoil charge method selects D meson type correctly 0.91$`\pm `$0.01$`\pm `$0.02 of the time, and misidentifies a D for 0.09$`\pm `$0.01$`\pm `$0.02 of the events, where the first error is due to Monte Carlo statistics, and the second is systematic.

## III Data Analysis

### A Reconstruction of D, $`\varphi `$ Mesons

Charged tracks are required to have good helix fits which have a normalized chi-square of less than 9 per degree of freedom. These tracks must satisfy $`|\mathrm{cos}\theta |<`$ 0.8, where $`\theta `$ is the polar angle, and be consistent with coming from the primary event vertex. For charged particles, a particle identification procedure is applied. A combined particle confidence level calculated using the d$`E`$/d$`x`$ and TOF measurements is required to be greater than $`1\%`$ for the $`\pi `$ hypothesis. For the kaon hypothesis, $`L_k>L_\pi `$, where $`L`$ is the likelihood for a particle type, is required.

Charged and neutral D mesons are reconstructed via decays $`\mathrm{D}^0\mathrm{K}^{}\pi ^+`$, $`\mathrm{K}^{}\pi ^{}\pi ^+\pi ^+`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^+\mathrm{K}^{}\pi ^+\pi ^+`$. To reduce combinatorial backgrounds, only D mesons from $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}}\mathrm{D}^{},\mathrm{D}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}^{}}`$ reactions are selected with cuts on the momenta of Kn$`\pi `$ combinations. Figures 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) show the invariant mass distributions for events that pass the selections. The signals are fitted, and after having accounted for double counting, the number of D events is determined to be $`9054\pm 309\pm 416`$, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. These D events are used as tagged $`\mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{e}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}}\mathrm{D}^{},\mathrm{D}^{}\overline{\mathrm{D}^{}}`$ events in which the recoil side contain an unbiased $`\overline{\mathrm{D}}`$ decay.

Table 1 summarizes the numbers of neutral and charged D mesons in the recoil against the reconstructed D tags. The averages from the CDTM method and the recoil charge method, calculated assuming a full correlation between their statistical errors, are 6803$`\pm `$303$`\pm `$322 and 2251$`\pm `$77$`\pm `$112 for D<sup>0</sup> and D<sup>+</sup>, respectively.

The $`\varphi `$ meson is reconstructed through its decay to $`\mathrm{K}^+\mathrm{K}^{}`$. Figure 2 shows the invariant mass distribution of $`\mathrm{K}^+\mathrm{K}^{}`$ pairs selected. Using convoluted Breit-Wigner and Gaussian functions plus a third order polynomial background to fit the mass spectrum, a mass of $`1.0194\pm 0.0002`$ GeV$`/c^2`$ and a total of $`1108\pm 70`$ $`\varphi `$ events are obtained. In this measurement, a $`\varphi `$ signal window is defined as the region from 1.00 to 1.04 GeV/$`c^2`$, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2.

### B Inclusive $`\mathrm{D}\varphi \mathrm{X}`$

Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show the invariant mass distributions of $`\mathrm{K}^+\mathrm{K}^{}`$ pairs from D<sup>+</sup> and D<sup>0</sup>, respectively, as identified by the recoil charge selection criteria. The $`\mathrm{Kn}\pi `$ invariant masses for the single tag are within $`\pm 2.5\sigma _{\mathrm{M}_\mathrm{D}}`$ of the $`\mathrm{D}`$ masses. In this measurement, $`\mathrm{K}^+\mathrm{K}^{}`$ pairs with masses in the ranges 0.98 - 1.00 GeV/$`c^2`$ and 1.04 - 1.15 GeV/$`c^2`$ are taken as background for the $`\varphi `$. The $`\mathrm{Kn}\pi `$ mass regions from 1.7 to 2.1 GeV/$`c^2`$, excluding regions within $`\pm 3\sigma _{\mathrm{M}_\mathrm{D}}`$ of the fit D masses, are defined as background control regions for the D mesons. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), 15 events are found as $`\mathrm{D}\varphi `$ candidates, and 14 events are selected as background outside the $`\varphi `$ mass region. Using the D sideband events, a total of 0.5$`\pm `$0.5 background events has been estimated as the background among the D candidates. Subtracting the background contributions to both the D and the $`\varphi `$, we obtain an excess of 10.2$`\pm `$4.0 events in the $`\varphi `$ signal region.

The two D type identification methods, CDTM and the recoil charge method, are applied to these events to extract the numbers of $`\varphi `$ from specific D<sup>0</sup> and D<sup>+</sup> decays. Subtracting backgrounds estimated using the $`\varphi `$ and D side bands, the two methods determine 3.7$`\pm `$4.7 (CDTM) and 9.7$`\pm `$4.2 (recoil charge) $`\mathrm{D}^0\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ events, and 6.5$`\pm `$5.5 (CDTM), and 0.5$`\pm `$1.7 (recoil charge) $`\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ events, respectively. Averaging over the two methods and assuming a complete correlation in their statistical errors, the number of $`\mathrm{D}^0\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ events are set to be 6.7$`\pm `$4.5, and 3.5$`\pm `$3.6, respectively, and are used to determine their branching fractions.

### C Search for the decay $`\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{e}^+\nu `$

Among the 15 $`\varphi `$ candidates observed in the recoil side of the events, 4 are accompanied by at least one charged track which are within $`|cos\theta |<0.85`$. Each of these tracks is checked for consistency with being an electron using the d$`E`$/d$`x`$ information. This electron identification requires that electron confidence level to be greater than $`1\%`$, and $`\mathrm{L}_\mathrm{e}>\mathrm{L}_\pi `$. None of the accompanying tracks is identified as an electron.

## IV Results

Assuming 10.2$`\pm `$4.0 signal $`\mathrm{D}\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ events, and correcting for $`\varphi `$ meson detection efficiency of 0.084$`\pm `$0.006 obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation, the average branching fraction for the BES mixture of D<sup>0</sup> and D<sup>+</sup> mesons is measured to be

$$B(\mathrm{D}\varphi \mathrm{X})=(1.29\pm 0.51\pm 0.12)\%,$$

where the first errors are statistical and second systematic.

Based on 6.7$`\pm `$4.5 $`\mathrm{D}^0\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ and 3.5$`\pm `$3.6 $`\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{X}`$ events, as determined in the previous section, 90% C. L. upper limits are set on specific D<sup>0</sup>, D<sup>+</sup> decays to be

$$B(\mathrm{D}^0\varphi \mathrm{X})<2.5\%,$$

$$B(\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{X})<5.0\%$$

The results include systematic errors arising from uncertainties ($`\pm 0.05\%`$, $`\pm 0.06\%`$ and $`\pm 0.04\%`$) in the numbers of singly tagged D mesons due to the choice of a background function and fit interval for the single tag samples and uncertainties ($`\pm 0.08\%`$, $`\pm 0.13\%`$ and $`\pm 0.09\%`$) in the inclusive $`\varphi `$ efficiency. The combined effect of these sources is obtained by adding the uncertainties in quadrature, which yields total systematic errors of $`\pm 0.10\%`$, $`\pm 0.14\%`$ and $`\pm 0.10\%`$ for the D<sup>0</sup>, D<sup>+</sup>, and their sum, respectively.

Based on zero candidate $`\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{e}^+\nu `$ events, and a detection efficiency of 0.0652, a 90% C. L. limit is set for the decays at

$$B(\mathrm{D}^+\varphi \mathrm{e}^+\mathrm{X})<1.6\%.$$

## V Conclusion

In summary, the inclusive branching fractions of the charged and neutral D mesons into a $`\varphi `$ have been directly measured. Comparing with the sums of the existing measurements on the exclusive $`\mathrm{D}^0`$ and $`\mathrm{D}^+`$ decays containing a $`\varphi `$ in the final states, these BES branching fraction values indicate little room for additional $`\varphi `$ decay modes of D<sup>0</sup> and D<sup>+</sup> mesons.