Multidimensional Resonance Analysis of ${\Lambda }_c^{+}\to p{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}$

Abstract

We present the results of a five-dimensional resonant amplitude analysis of the ${\Lambda }_c^{+}\to p{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ system based on $946\pm 38$ reconstructed decays. These data were produced in 500 GeV/$c$ ${\pi }^{-}$-N interactions by Fermilab experiment E791. We report measurements of the amplitudes for ${\Lambda }_c^{+}$ decay into nonresonant $p{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ and to $p{\bar{K}}^{\ast 0}(890)$, ${\Delta }^{++}(1232)K^{-}$, and $\Lambda (1520){\pi }^{+}$ and we comment on other possible resonant enhancements. This is the first complete amplitude analysis of the ${\Lambda }_c^{+}\to p{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ system. We find that $(54.8\pm 5.5\pm 3.5)$% of the decays are nonresonant, $(19.5\pm 2.6\pm 1.8)$% of the decays are via the ${\bar{K}}^{\ast 0}$ resonance, $(18.0\pm 2.9\pm 2.9)$% of the decays are via the ${\Delta }^{++}$ resonance, and $(7.7\pm 1.8\pm 1.1)$% of the decays are via the $\Lambda (1520)$ resonance. We find evidence for an increasingly negative polarization of the ${\Lambda }_c^{+}$ baryons as a function of $p_T^2$, in agreement with a recent model\cite{dha} and with a related measurement\cite{jez}.

16 pages, 5 figures