Search for B decays to final states with the eta_c meson

Abstract

We report a search for $B$ decays to selected final states with the $η_c$ meson: $B^{\pm}\to K^{\pm}η_cπ^+π^-$, $B^{\pm}\to K^{\pm}η_cω$, $B^{\pm}\to K^{\pm}η_cη$ and $B^{\pm}\to K^{\pm}η_cπ^0$. The analysis is based on $772\times 10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected at the $Υ(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. We set 90\% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions of the studied $B$ decay modes, independent of intermediate resonances, in the range $(0.6-5.3)\times 10^{-4}$. We also search for molecular-state candidates in the $D^0\bar{D}^{*0}-\bar{D}^0D^{*0}$, $D^0\bar{D}^0+\bar{D}^0D^0$ and $D^{*0}\bar{D}^{*0}+\bar{D}^{*0}D^{*0}$ combinations, neutral partners of the $Z(3900)^{\pm}$ and $Z(4020)^{\pm}$, and a poorly understood state $X(3915)$ as possible intermediate states in the decay chain, and set 90\% confidence level upper limits on the product of branching fractions to the mentioned intermediate states and decay branching fractions of these states in the range $(0.6-6.9)\times 10^{-5}$.

11 pages, 12 figures, accepted to JHEP