Charm Mixing and Lifetimes at Babar

TL;DR

This paper reports preliminary limits on the D^0 meson mixing parameter y, using data from BaBar, by measuring D^0 lifetimes in different decay modes to investigate potential mixing effects.

Contribution

First measurement of D^0 mixing parameter y using lifetime differences in multiple decay modes with BaBar data.

Findings

Measured y = (1.4 ± 1.0 (stat.) +0.6 -0.7 (syst.))%

Used D*-tagging and particle ID to suppress backgrounds

Provided constraints on D^0 mixing with early BaBar data.

Abstract

Preliminary limits on the D^0 mixing parameter y = \Delta \Gamma / 2 \Gamma are obtained using about 57.8 fb^-1 of data collected by BaBar in 2000 and 2001:y = (1.4 \pm 1.0 (stat.) +0.6 -0.7 (syst.))%. y is extracted, provided that CP is conserved, by measuring separately the D^0 lifetime for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay modes K- K+, \pi- \pi+ and the Cabibbo-favoured mode K- \pi+. Backgrounds are suppressed by D*-tag and particle identification requirements.