On the Determination of $\Delta m$ and $\Delta \Gamma$ in Tagged $D^0$--$\bar D^0$ Decays

Abstract

We consider the time dependence of the decays of tagged $D^0$ and $\bar{D}^0$ into CP-conjugate final states $f$ and $\bar{f}$, or into a CP eigenstate $F$. We expand each decay width as $\exp (- \Gamma t)$ times a series in $\Gamma t$, where $\Gamma$ is the average decay width of the mass eigenstates $D_H$ and $D_L$, and examine the first three terms of the series. We show that experimental information on the coefficients of these terms allows in principle to compute all the relevant mixing parameters. In particular, depending on CP violation or conservation, we discuss the different possibilities to extract $\Delta m$ and $\Delta \Gamma$, i.e., the mass and decay-width differences of the mass eigenstates. We also comment on consistency conditions among the coefficients of the various decay-width expansions.