Measurement of b quark fragmentation fractions in the production of strange and light B mesons in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.8 TeV

A new technique to measure the ratio of b quark fragmentation fractions in collisions is described. Using a 70-pb(-1) sample of low-mass dimuon trigger data recorded with the Collider Detector at Fermilab, we identify B mesons by observing the double semileptonic decays b-->c mu X with c-->s mu X. By counting the numbers of K*(892)(0), K*(892)(+), and phi(1020) mesons produced in association with these muon pairs, we measure the ratio of strange to nonstrange B meson production to be f(s)/(f(u)+f(d)) = [21.0+/-3.6(stat)(-3.0)(+3.8)(syst)]%. This measurement is the most precise available from hadron collisions to date. Limits on the branching fractions of semileptonic charm meson decays with K-1(1270), K-1*(1410), and K-2*(1430) mesons in the final state are also obtained. [S0556-2821(99)00119-8]