First measurements of absolute branching fractions of $Ξ_c^0$ at Belle

Abstract

We present the first measurements of absolute branching fractions of $Ξ_c^0$ decays into $Ξ^- π^+$, $ΛK^- π^+$, and $p K^- K^- π^+$ final states. The measurements are made using a data set comprising $(772\pm 11)\times 10^{6}$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected at the $Υ(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+e^-$ collider. We first measure the absolute branching fraction for $B^- \to \barΛ_c^- Ξ_c^0$ using a missing-mass technique; the result is ${\cal B}(B^- \to \barΛ_c^- Ξ_c^0) = (9.51 \pm 2.10 \pm 0.88) \times 10^{-4}$. We subsequently measure the product branching fractions ${\cal B}(B^- \to \barΛ_c^- Ξ_c^0){\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to Ξ^- π^+)$, ${\cal B}( B^- \to \barΛ_c^- Ξ_c^0) {\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to ΛK^- π^+)$, and ${\cal B}( B^- \to \barΛ_c^- Ξ_c^0) {\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to p K^- K^- π^+)$ with improved precision. Dividing these product branching fractions by the result for $B^- \to \barΛ_c^- Ξ_c^0$ yields the following branching fractions: ${\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to Ξ^- π^+)= (1.80 \pm 0.50 \pm 0.14)\%$, ${\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to ΛK^- π^+)=(1.17 \pm 0.37 \pm 0.09)\%$, and ${\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to p K^- K^- π^+)=(0.58 \pm 0.23 \pm 0.05)\%.$ For the above branching fractions, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. Our result for ${\cal B}(Ξ_c^0 \to Ξ^- π^+)$ can be combined with $Ξ_c^0$ branching fractions measured relative to $Ξ_c^0 \to Ξ^- π^+$ to yield other absolute $Ξ_c^0$ branching fractions.

7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication as a Letter in Physical Review Letters