Diffractive production of the charmed baryon LAMBDA$_{c}^{+}$ at the CERN ISR

Abstract

In a sample of diffractive events of high multiplicity a sharp five standard deviation signal is observed at M=2255 MeV/c/sup 2/ in the K /sup -/p pi /sup +/ mass distribution and, although with less statistical strength, at the same mass in the lambda /sup 0/ pi /sup + / pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ channel. These signals are identified as being due to the decay of the charmed baryon Lambda /sub c//sup +/ which is produced with a cross section times branching ratio sigma /sub C/B in the range 0.7-1.8 mu b for the K/sup -/ pi /sup +/p decay and 0.3-0.7 mu b for the Lambda /sup 0/ pi /sup +/ pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ system. (8 refs)