K. Niwa

THE DOUBLE ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION OF CHARMED PARTICLES BY THE INTERACTION OF 350 GEV/C PI-MESONS WITH EMULSION NUCLEI

Abstract Evidence is reported for the simultaneous production of four charmed particles in interactions induced by 350 GeV/ c π − mesons in stacks of nuclear emulsions. The events were found during a search for beauty particles among a sample of about 200 interactions with candidates for charmed particles. The events selected required the presence of at least one muon with a high component of momentum transverse to the beam direction.

Quasifree p(K-,K+)Xi- reaction in nuclear emulsion

Abstract A study of 1.66 GeV c K − beam induced ( K − ,K + ) reactions in the nuclear emulsion target is presented and 796 ( K − , K + ) reaction vertices ( p K + ⩾ 1 GeV /c ) containing 18 single hyperfragments are identified. There is no clear(spatially separated) double hyperfragment nor twin single hyperfragment in the identified 796 ( K − ,K + ) reactions. These events are classified and their characteristics are described in detail. In the region p K + ⩾ 1 GeV /c where the quasifree K − (p) → K + Ξ − is the dominant process, the probability of Ξ − emission from the reaction vertex is determined to be 73.9 −4.6 +4.5 %. From this value, the mean free path of Ξ − in a nucleus is estimated to be 4.7 −1.0 +1.5 fm for 〈p Ξ − 〉 ∼ 0.6 GeV /c by assuming a simple model of uniform nuclear matter.

Cross sections for charm production by neutrinos

The production of charmed particles has been measured using a hybrid emulsion spectrometer in the Fermilab wide-band neutrino beam. The relative cross section for charged current charmed particle production is σ(v → μ−c)/σ(v → μ−) = 6.5 ±1.91.8%, and the energy dependence of the cross section is presented. One event with charm pair production was observed. A limit of σ(v → μcc)/σ(v → μc) < 6% (90% CL) is found for the ratio of charged current pair and single charm production.

An attempt to observe directly beauty particles in nuclear emulsions

Abstract An attempt at the direct observation of the cascade decay of beauty particles, produced by π − of 350 GeV / c leading to 3 muons or 4 muons in the final state, has been made in an emulsion/counter hybrid experiment at CERN. Under the assumption that the lifetime of beauty particles is of the order of 10 −13 s the non-observation of any candidates provides an upper limit for beauty production of ∼90 nb at the 90% confidence level.