A study of the neutrino production of φ and D s + mesons

Abstract

The charged current neutrino production of φ and D + s mesons is studied, using the data obtained with the SKAT bubble chamber exposed to the Serpukhov accelerator neutrino beam. It is found that the φ production occurs predominantly in the forward hemisphere of the hadronic c.m.s. (at x F > 0, x F being the Feynman variable), with the mean yield strongly exceeding the expected yield of directly produced φ mesons and varying from 〈n φ(x F s 0)〉 = (0.92 ± 0.34) × 10−2 at W > 2 GeV up to (1.23 ± 0.53) × 10−2 at W > 2.6 GeV and (1.44 ± 0.69) × 10−2 at W > 2.9 GeV, W being the invariant mass of the hadronic system. For the first time, the inclusive yield of leading D + s mesons carrying more than z = 0.85 of the current c-quark energy is estimated: 〈n D + s (z > 0.85, W > 2.9 GeV)〉 = (6.64 ± 1.91) × 10−2. It is shown that the shape of measured φ meson differential spectrum on xF is reproduced by that expected from the D + s → φX decays. An indication was obtained that this expected spectrum underestimates the measured φ yield.