Abstract
A search for decays of the Bc meson was performed using data collected from 1990-1995 with the OPAL detector on or near the Z0 peak at LEP. The decay channels B+c→J/ψπ+, B+c→J/ψa+1 and B+c→J/ψℓ+v were investigated, where ℓ denotes an electron or a muon. Two candidates are observed in the mode B+c→J/ψπ+, with an estimated background of (0.63 ± 0.20) events. The weighted mean of the masses of the two candidates is (6.32 ± 0.06) GeV/c2, which is consistent with the predicted mass of the Bc meson. One candidate event is observed in the mode B+c→J/ψℓ+v, with an estimated background of (0.82 ± 0.19) events. No candidate events are observed in the B+c→J/ψa+1 decay mode, with an estimated background of (1.10 ± 0.22) events. Upper bounds at the 90% confidence level are set on the production rates for these processes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 157-168 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Physics Letters B |
| Volume | 420 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 19 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
We particularly wish to thank the SL Division for the efficient operation of the LEP accelerator at all energies and for their continuing close cooperation with our experimental group. We thank our colleagues from CEA, DAPNIA/SPP, CE-Saclay for their efforts over the years on the time-of-flight and trigger systems which we continue to use. In addition to the support staff at our own institutions we are pleased to acknowledge the Department of Energy, USA, National Science Foundation, USA, Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, UK, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada, Israel Science Foundation, administered by the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities, Minerva Gesellschaft, Benoziyo Center for High Energy Physics, Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (the Monbusho) and a grant under the Monbusho International Science Research Program, German Israeli Bi-national Science Foundation (GIF), Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Germany, National Research Council of Canada, Research Corporation, USA, Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research, OTKA T-016660, T023793 and OTKA F-023259.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| German Israeli Bi-national Science Foundation | |
| Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research | OTKA T-016660, OTKA F-023259, T023793 |
| Minerva Gesellschaft | |
| National Science Foundation | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | |
| Research Corporation for Science Advancement | |
| Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | |
| National Research Council Canada | |
| Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | |
| Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung | |
| Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities | |
| Israel Science Foundation |