Study of the decay mode D^0 -> K-K-K+pi+

TL;DR

This paper reports a new measurement of the branching ratio for the decay D^0 -> K^-K^-K^+ au^+ using Fermilab data, and analyzes its resonant substructure revealing dominant phi and K*0(890) contributions.

Contribution

It provides the first precise measurement of the branching ratio for this decay mode and details its resonant substructure through amplitude analysis.

Findings

Branching ratio measured as 0.00257 with uncertainties.

Dominant resonant contributions from phi and K*0(890).

First detailed amplitude analysis of this decay mode.

Abstract

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a new measurement of the branching ratio for the Cabibbo-favored decay mode $D^0 \to K^-K^-K^+\pi^+$. From a sample of $143 \pm 19$ fully reconstructed $D^0 \to K^-K^-K^+\pi^+$ events, we measure $\Gamma(D^0 \to K^-K^-K^+\pi^+)/\Gamma(D^0 \to K^-\pi^-\pi^+\pi^+) = 0.00257 \pm 0.00034(stat.) \pm 0.00024(syst.)$. A coherent amplitude analysis has been performed to determine the resonant substructure of this decay mode. This analysis reveals a dominant contribution from $\phi$ and $\bar K^{*0}(890)$ states.