Cabibbo suppressed decays and the $\Xi_{c}^{+}$ lifetime

Abstract

The problem of the $\Xi_{c}^{+}$ lifetime is considered in the framework of {\em Heavy-Quark Expansion} and $SU(3)_{flavor}$ symmetry. The lifetime of $\Xi_{c}^{+}$ is expressed in terms of measurable inclusive quantities of the other two charmed baryons belonging to the same $SU(3)_{flavor}$ multiplet in a model-independent way. In such a treatment, inclusive decay rates of singly Cabibbo suppressed decay modes have a prominent role. An analogous approach is applied to the multiplet of charmed mesons yielding interesting predictions on $D_{s}^{+}$ properties. The results obtained indicate that a more precise measurement of inclusive decay quantities of some charmed hadrons (such as $\Lambda_{c}^{+}$) that are more amenable to experiment can contribute significantly to our understanding of decay properties of other charmed hadrons (such as $\Xi_{c}^{+}$) where discrepancies or ambiguities exist.