Search for the Bc Meson in Hadronic Z0 Decays
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 Z peak at LEP. The decay channels Bc+ -> J/psi pi+, Bc+ -> J/psi a1+ and Bc+ -> J/psi ell+ nu were investigated, where ell denotes an electron or a muon. Two candidates are observed in the mode Bc+ -> J/psi pi+, 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 Bc+ -> J/psi ell+ nu with an estimated background of (0.82 +/- 0.19) events. No candidate events are observed in the Bc+ -> J/psi a1+ 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.
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