Measurement of the D(s)+ lifetime

A high statistics measurement of the D(s)+ lifetime from the Fermilab fixed-target FOCUS photoproduction experiment is presented. We describe the analysis of the two decay modes, D(s)+ --> phi(1020)pi+ and D(s)+ -->K*(892)0K+, used for the measurement. The measured lifetime is 507.4 +/- 5.5(stat) +/- 5.1(syst) fs using 8961 +/- 105 D(s)+ --> phi(1020)pi+ and 4680 +/- 90 D(s)+ --> K*(892)0K+ decays. This is a significant improvement over the present world average.

A high statistics measurement of the Lambda(+)(c) lifetime

A high statistics measurement of the Lambda(+)(c) lifetime from the Fermilab fixed-target FOCUS photoproduction experiment is presented. We describe the analysis technique with particular attention to the determination of the systematic uncertainty. The measured value of 204.6 +/- 3.4 (stat) +/- 2.5 (syst) fs from 8034 +/- 122 Lambda(+)(c)-->pK(-)pi(+) decays represents a significant improvement over the present world average.

Search for CP violation in the decays D+--> K(S)pi+ and D+-->K(S)K+

A high-statistics sample of photoproduced charm from the FOCUS experiment has been used to search for direct CP violation in the decay rates for D+-->K(S)pi+ and D+-->K(S)K+. We have measured the following asymmetry parameters relative to D+-->K-pi+pi+: A(CP)(K(S)pi+) = (-1.6+/-1.5+/-0.9)%, A(CP)(K(S)K+) = (+6.9+/-6.0+/-1.5)%, and A(CP)(K(S)K+) = (+7.1+/-6.1+/-1.2)% relative to D+-->K(S)pi+. We have also measured the relative branching ratios and found Gamma(D+-->K(0)pi+)/Gamma(D+-->K-pi+pi+) = (30.60+/-0.46+/-0.32)%, Gamma(D+-->K(0)K+)/Gamma(D+-->K-pi+pi+) = (6.04+/-0.35+/-0.30)%, and Gamma(D+-->K(0)K+)/Gamma(D+-->K(0)pi+) = (19.96+/-1.19+/-0.96)%.

Measurement of the branching ratios of D(+) and D(+)(s) hadronic decays to four-body final states containing a K(S)

We have studied hadronic four-body decays of D(+) and D(+)(s) mesons with a K(S) in the final state using data recorded during the 1996-1997 fixed-target run of the Fermilab high energy photoproduction experiment FOCUS. We report a new branching ratio measurement of gamma(D(+)-->K(S)K-pi(+)pi(+))/gamma(D(+)-->K(S)pi(+)pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.0768+/-0.0041+/-0.0032. We make the first observation of three new decay modes with branching ratios gamma(D(+)-->K(S)K+pi(+)pi(-))/gamma(D(+)-->K(S)pi(+)pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.0562+/-0.0039+/-0.0040, gamma(D(+)-->K(S)K+K-pi(+))/gamma(D(+)-->K(S)pi(+)pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.0077+/-0.0015+/-0.0009, and gamma(D(+)(s)-->K(S)K+pi(+)pi(-))/gamma(D(+)(s)-->K(S)K-pi(+)pi(+)) = 0.586+/-0.052+/-0.043, where in each case the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic.

Study of the decay D0 --> K+pi-

Using a large sample of photoproduced charm mesons from the FOCUS experiment at Fermilab (FNAL-E831), we observe the decay D0-->K+pi- with a signal yield of 149+/-31 events compared to a similarly cut sample consisting of 36 760+/-195 D0-->K-pi+ events. We use the observed ratio of D0-->K+pi- to D0-->K-pi+ (0.404+/-0.085+/-0.025)% to obtain a relationship between the D0 mixing and doubly Cabibbo suppressed decay parameters.