Production and Decay of Charmed Mesons in the Upsilon Energy Region

Abstract

We study the properties of charmed, nonstrange, $\rm D$ mesons produced in continuum $\rm {e^+}{e^-}$ annihilations. The $ \rm {e^+}{e^-}$ collisions were generated in the energy region of the $ \rm \Upsilon(3S)$ and $ \rm \Upsilon(4S)$ resonances by the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, and were analyzed by the CLEO detector. We make extensive study of the decay topology $\rm D^0, D^+ \rightarrow \overline{{\rm K}}^{_{_0}}X$, where the $\overline{{\rm K}}^{_{_0}}$ is observed in the final state $\rm K^{0}_{S} \rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-$. The decay $ \rm D^+ \rightarrow K^- \pi^+\pi^-$ is also considered. We analyze the hadronization process through which charmed quarks become charmed hadrons. We measure the probability that a charmed meson will be produced in a state of non zero angular momentum. A comparison of the $\rm D^0$ and $\rm D^+$ fragmentation distributions is made to different fragmentation models, and to other charmed hadrons. A measurement of the relative production of several $\rm D^+$ decay modes is made, and the total $\rm D^0$ and $\rm D^+$ cross sections are estimated. Techniques are presented for the analysis of satellite mass peaks and $\rm D^+ \Leftrightarrow D^{+}_{s}$ reflections. We search for nonspectator effects in the weak decays of charmed mesons, and for evidence of hadronic final state interactions in $\rm D^0$ decay.