Measurement of the D+ --> pi+ pi0 and D+ --> K+ pi0 Branching Fractions

TL;DR

This paper reports precise measurements of the branching fractions for two D+ meson decays, including the first observation of the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed D+ --> K+ pi0 decay, using data from the BABAR detector.

Contribution

It provides the first observation of the D+ --> K+ pi0 decay and improves the measurement of D+ --> pi+ pi0 branching fraction.

Findings

BR(D+ --> pi+ pi0) = (1.22 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.08 +/- 0.08) * 10^(-3)

BR(D+ --> K+ pi0) = (2.46 +/- 0.46 +/- 0.24 +/- 0.16) * 10^(-4)

First observation of the D+ --> K+ pi0 decay mode.

Abstract

We present measurements of the branching fractions for the Cabbibo suppressed decays D+ --> pi+ pi0 and D+ --> K+ pi0 based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 124.3 fb-1. The data were taken with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B Factory operating on and near the Y(4S) resonance. We find BR(D+ --> pi+ pi0) = (1.22 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.08 +/- 0.08) * 10^(-3) and BR(D+ --> K+ pi0) = (2.46 +/- 0.46 +/- 0.24 +/- 0.16) * 10^(-4), where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the last error is due to the uncertainties in the absolute branching fraction scale for D+ mesons. This represents the first observation of the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed D+ --> K+ pi0 decay mode and an improved measurement of the D+ --> K+ pi0 branching fraction.