Measurement of the [formula omitted] lifetime

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 358; no. 1; pp. 151 - 161
• Main Authors: Adamivich, M.I., Albertson, E., Alexandrov, Yu.A., Barberis, D., Beck, M., Bérat, C., Beusch, W., Boss, M., Brons, S., Brückner, W., Buénerd, M., Büscher, C., Charignon, F., Chauvin, J., Chudakov, E., Dropmann, F., Engelfried, J., Faller, F., Fournier, A., Gerassimov, S.G., Godbersen, M., Grafström, P., Haller, Th, Heidrich, M., Hurst, R.B., Königsmann, K., Konorov, I., Martens, K., Martin, Ph, Masciocchi, S., Michaels, R., Müller, U., Paul, S., Povh, B., Ren, Z., Rey-Campagnolle, M., Rosner, G., Rossi, L., Rudolph, H., Schmitt, L., Siebert, H.-W., Simon, A., Smith, V.J., Thilmann, O., Trombini, A., Vesin, E., Volkemer, B., Vorwalter, K., Walcher, Th, Wälder, G., Werding, R., Wittmann, E., Zavertyaev, M.V., Newaom, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.1995
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/0370-2693(95)00979-U

We present the measurement of the lifetime of the Ω c 0 we have performed using three independent data samples from two different decay modes. Using a Σ − beam of 340 GeV c we have obtained clean signals for the Ω c 0 decaying i Ξ − K − π + π + and Ω −π +π −π + , avoiding topological cuts normally used in charm analysis. The short but measurable lifetime of the Ω c 0 is demonstrated by a clear enhancement of the signals at short but finite decay lengths. Using a continuous maximum likelihood method we determined the lifetime to be τ ω c 0 = 55 −11 +13(stat) −23 +18(syst) fs. This makes the Ω c 0 the shortest living weakly decaying particle observed so far. The short value of the lifetime comfirms the predicted pattern of the charmed baryon lifetimes and demonstrates that the strong interaction plays a vital role in the lifetimes of charmed hadrons.