Evidence for Decays of h_c to Multi-Pion Final States

Abstract

Using a sample of 2.59 x 10^7$psi(2S)decayscollectedbytheCLEO--cdetector,wepresentresultsofasearchforthedecaychainpsi(2S)->p{i}^0{h}_c,h_c->n(p{i}^{+}p{i}^{-})p{i}^0,n=1,2,3.Weobservenosignificantsignalsforn=1andn=3andsetupperlimitsforthecorrespondingdecayrates.Firstevidenceforthedecay{h}_cøp{i}^{+}p{i}^{-}p{i}^{+}p{i}^{-}p{i}^{0}ispresented,andaproductbranchingfractionofB(psi(2S)->h_c)xB(h_c->2(p{i}^{+}p{i}^{-})p{i}^0)=1.88_{-0.45-0.30}^{+0.48+0.47}x10^{-5}ismeasured.Thisresultimpliesthat{h}_c->$ hadrons and h_c -> gamma eta_c have comparable rates, in agreement with expectations.

Available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/, submitted to Phys. Rev. D. (Rapid Communications)