Search for the rare decays K(L)→π0π0µ+µ- and K(L)→π0π0X0→π0π0µ+µ-.

The KTeV E799 experiment has conducted a search for the rare decays, K(L)→π(0)π(0)µ(+)µ(-) and K(L)→π(0)π(0)X(0)→π(0)π(0)µ(+)µ(-), where the X(0) is a possible new neutral boson that was reported by the HyperCP experiment with a mass of (214.3 ± 0.5) MeV/c(2). We find no evidence for either decay. We obtain upper limits of Br(K(L)→π(0)π(0)X(0)→π(0)π(0)µ(+)µ(-)) < 1.0 × 10(-10) and Br(K(L)→π(0)π(0)µ(+)µ(-)) < 9.2 × 10(-11) at the 90% confidence level. This result rules out the pseudoscalar X(0) as an explanation of the HyperCP result under the scenario that the dsX(0) coupling is completely real.

Measurements of the decay KL-->e+ e- gamma.

The E799-II (KTeV) experiment at Fermilab has collected 83 262 K(L)-->e+ e- gamma(gamma) events above a background of 79 events. We measure a decay width, normalized to the K(L)-->pi0pi0pi(D)0 (pi0-->gammagamma, pi0-->gammagamma, pi(D0-->e+ e- gamma(gamma)) decay width, of Gamma(K(L)-->e+e-gamma(gamma))/Gamma(K(L)-->pi0pi0pi(D)0)=(1.3302+/-0.0046(stat)+/-0.0102(syst)) x 10(-3). We also measure parameters of two K(L)gamma*gamma form factor models. In the Bergström-Massó-Singer parametrization, we find Calpha(K*)= -0.517 +/- 0.030(stat) +/- 0.022(syst). We separately fit for the first parameter of the D'Ambrosio-Isidori-Portolés model and find alpha(DIP)= -1.729 +/- 0.043(stat) +/- 0.028(syst).

Search for the weak decay of a lightly bound H0 dibaryon

We present results of a search for a new form of hadronic matter, a six-quark, dibaryon state called the H0, a state predicted to exist in several theoretical models. Analyzing data collected by experiment E799-II at Fermilab, we searched for the decay H0-->Lambdappi(-) and found no candidate events. We place an upper limit on [B(H0-->Lambdappi(-))dsigma(H)/dOmega]/(dsigma(Xi)/dOmega) and, in the context of published models, exclude the region of lightly bound mass states just below the LambdaLambda mass threshold, 2.194

Observation of CP violation in K(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)e(+)e(-) decays

We report the first observation of a manifestly CP violating effect in the K(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)e(+)e(-) decay mode. A large asymmetry was observed in the distribution of these decays in the CP-odd and T-odd angle straight phi between the decay planes of the e(+)e(-) and pi(+)pi(-) pairs in the K(L) center of mass system. After acceptance corrections, the overall asymmetry is found to be [13.6+/-2. 5(stat)+/-1.2(syst)]%. This is the largest CP-violating effect yet observed when integrating over the entire phase space of a mode and the first such effect observed in an angular variable.

Search for the decay K(L) --> pi(0)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-)

We report on a search for the decay K(L)-->pi(0)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-) carried out as a part of the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. This decay is expected to have a significant CP violating contribution and a direct measurement will either support the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism for CP violation or point to new physics. Two events were observed in the 1997 data with an expected background of 0.87+/-0.15 events, and we set an upper limit B(K(L)-->pi(0)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-))<3. 8x10(-10) at the 90% confidence level.

Search for lepton-flavor-violating decays of the neutral kaon.

The Fermilab KTeV experiment has searched for lepton-flavor-violating decays of the K(L) meson in three decay modes. We observe no events in the signal region for any of the modes studied, and we set the following upper limits for their branching ratios at the 90% C.L.: BR(K(L) --> pi(0) micro(+/-) e(-/+)) <7.6 x 10(-11); BR(K(L) --> pi(0)pi(0) micro(+/-) e(-/+)) <1.7 x 10(-10); BR(pi(0) --> micro(+/-) e(-/+)) <3.6 x 10(-10). This result represents a factor of 82 improvement in the branching ratio limit for K(L) --> pi(0) micro(+/-) e(-/+) and is the first reported limit for K(L) --> pi(0)pi(0) micro(+/-) e(-/+).

Determination of the parity of the neutral pion via its four-electron decay.

We present a new determination of the parity of the neutral pion via the double Dalitz decay pi0-->e+e-e+e-. Our sample, which consists of 30,511 candidate decays, was collected from KL-->pi0pi0pi0 decays in flight at the KTeV-E799 experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. We confirm the negative pi0 parity and place a limit on scalar contributions to the pi0-->e+e-e+e- decay amplitude of less than 3.3% assuming CPT conservation. The pi0gamma*gamma* form factor is well described by a momentum-dependent model with a slope parameter fit to the final state phase-space distribution. Additionally, we have measured the branching ratio of this mode to be B(pi0-->e+e-e+e-)=(3.26+/-0.18)x10(-5).

First observation of K{L}-->pi{+/-}e{-/+}nue{+}e{-}.

This Letter is the first report of the K{L}-->pi{+/-}e{-/+}nue{+}e{-} decay. Based on 19 208+/-144 events, we determine the branching fraction, B(K{L}-->pi{+/-}e{-/+}nue{+}e{-}M_{e{+}e{-}}>5 MeV/c{2},E{e{+}e{-}}{*}>30 MeV)=(1.285+/-0.041)x10{-5}, and Gamma(K{e3ee}M{e{+}e{-}}>5 MeV/c{2})/Gamma(K{e3})=[4.57+/-0.04(stat)+/-0.14(syst)]x10{-5}. This ratio agrees with a theoretical prediction based on chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) calculated to O(p{4}). The measured kinematical distributions agree with those predicted by just ChPT O(p{4}), but show significant disagreement with ones predicted by leading-order ChPT.

Measurement of the K0 charge radius and a CP-violating asymmetry and a search for CP-violating E1 direct photon emission in the rare decay KL--> pi+ pi- e+ e-.

Using the complete KTeV data set of 5,241 candidate K(L)--> pi(+) pi(-) e(+) e(-) decays (including an estimated background of 204 +/- 14 events), we have measured the coupling g(CR)= 0.163 +/- 0.0149(stat) +/- 0.023(syst) of the CP conserving charge radius process and from it determined a K(0) charge radius of = [-0.077 +/- 0.007(stat) +/- 0.011(syst)]fm(2). We have determined a first experimental upper limit of 0.04 (90% C.L.) /g(e1)/ / /g(M1)/ of the couplings for the E1 and M1 direct photon emission processes. We also report the measurement of /g(M1)/ including a vector form factor /g(M1)/(1 + (a(1)/a(2))/((M(2)(p)-(M(2)(k))= 2M(K)E(gamma*)), where vector /g(M1)/= 1.11+/- 0.12(stat) +/- 0.08(syst) and a(1)/a(2) = [-0.744 +/- 0.027(stat) +/- 0.032(syst)] GeV(2)/c(2). Finally, a CP-violating asymmetry of [13.6 +/- 1.4(stat) +/- 1.5(syst)]% in the CP and T odd angle phi between the decay planes of the e(+) e(-) and pi(+) pi(-) pairs in the K(L) center of mass is reported.

Observation of the decay xi0 --> sigma+ mu- nu(mu).

The xi0 muon semileptonic decay has been observed for the first time with nine identified events using the KTeV beam line and detector at Fermilab. The decay is normalized to the xi0 beta decay mode and yields a value for the ratio of decay rates gamma(xi0 --> sigma+ mu- nu(mu))/gamma(xi0 --> sigma+ e- nu(e)) of [1.8(-0.5)(+0.7)(stat) +/- 0.2(syst)] x 10(-2). This is in agreement with the SU(3) flavor symmetric quark model.

A determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter |V us| using KL decays.

We present a determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter |V(us)| based on new measurements of the six largest K(L) branching fractions and semileptonic form factors by the KTeV (E832) experiment at Fermilab. We find |V(us)|=0.2252+/-0.0008(KTeV)+/-0.0021(ext), where the errors are from KTeV measurements and from external sources. We also use the measured branching fractions to determine the CP violation parameter |eta(+-)|=(2.228+/-0.005(KTeV)+/-0.009(ext))x10(-3).

Search for the decay KL --> pi(0)e+e-.

We report on a search for the decay KL-->pi(0)e+e- carried out by the KTeV/E799 experiment at Fermilab. This decay is expected to have a significant CP violating contribution and the measurement of its branching ratio could support the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism for CP violation or could point to new physics. Two events were observed in the 1997 data with an expected background of 1.06+/-0.41 events, and we set an upper limit B(KL-->pi(0)e+e-)<5.1 x 10(-10) at the 90% confidence level.

Study of the K(0)(L) --> pi(+)pi(-)gamma Direct Emission Vertex.

We have performed studies of the K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)gamma direct emission ( DE) and inner Bremsstrahlung ( IB) vertices, based on data collected by KTeV during the 1996 Fermilab fixed target run. We find a(1)/a(2) = -0.737+/-0.034 GeV2 for the DE form-factor parameter in the rho-propagator parametrization, and report on fits of the form factor to linear and quadratic functions as well. We concurrently measure gamma(K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)gamma,E(*)(gamma)>20 MeV)/gamma(K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)) = (20.8+/-0.3)x10(-3), and a K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)gamma DE/(DE+IB) branching ratio of 0.683+/-0.011.

Branching ratio measurement of the decay K(L) --> e(+)e(-)mu(+)mu(-).

We have collected a 43 event sample of the decay K(L)-->e(+)e(-)mu(+)mu(-) with negligible backgrounds and measured its branching ratio to be (2.62+/-0.40+/-0.17)x10(-9). We see no evidence for CP violation in this decay. In addition, we set the 90% confidence upper limit on the combined branching ratios for the lepton flavor violating decays K(L)-->e(+/-)e(+/-)mu(-/+)mu(-/+) at B(K(L)-->e(+/-)e(+/-)mu(-/+)mu(-/+))< or =1.23x10(-10), assuming a uniform phase space distribution.

Measurement of the branching ratio and form factor of K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma.

We report on the analysis of the rare decay K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma the 1997 data from the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. A total of 9327 candidate events are observed with 2.4% background, representing a factor of 40 increase in statistics over the current world sample. We find that B(K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma) = (3.62 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.08(syst)) x 10(-7). The form factor parameter alpha(K*) is measured to be alpha(K*) = -0.160(+0.026)(-0.028). In addition, we make the first measurement of the parameter alpha from the D'Ambrosio-Isidori-Portolés form factor, finding alpha = -1.54 +/- 0.10. In that model, this alpha measurement limits the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter rho>-0.2.

Measurement of the K(L) charge asymmetry.

We present a measurement of the charge asymmetry delta(L) in the mode K(L)-->pi(+/-)e(-/+)nu based on 298 x 10(6) analyzed decays. We measure a value of delta(L) = [3322+/-58(stat)+/-47(syst)]x10(-6), in good agreement with previous measurements and 2.4 times more precise than the current best published result. The result is used to place more stringent limits on CPT and DeltaS = DeltaQ violation in the neutral kaon system.

Measurements of the rare decay K(L) --> e(+)e(-)e(+)e(-).

We observe 441 K(L)-->e(+)e(-)e(+)e(-) candidate events with a background of 4.2 events and measure B(K(L)-->e(+)e(-)e(+)e(-)) = [3.72+/-0.18(stat)+/-0.23(syst)]x10(-8) in the KTeV/E799II experiment at Fermilab. Using the distribution of the angle between the planes of the e(+)e(-) pairs, we measure the CP parameters beta(CP) = -0.23+/-0.09(stat)+/-0.02(syst) and gamma(CP) = -0.09+/-0.09(stat)+/-0.02(syst). We also present the first detailed study of the e(+)e(-) invariant mass spectrum in this decay mode.

Measurement of the branching ratio and asymmetry of the decay Xi degrees -->Sigma degrees gamma.

We have studied the rare weak radiative hyperon decay Xi degrees -->Sigma degrees gamma in the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. We have identified 4045 signal events over a background of 804 events. The dominant Xi degrees -->Lambdapi degrees decay, which was used for normalization, is the only important background source. An analysis of the acceptance of both modes yields a branching ratio of B(Xi degrees -->Sigma degrees gamma)/B(Xi degrees -->Lambdapi degrees ) = (3.34+/-0.05+/-0.09)x10(-3). By analyzing the final state decay distributions, we have also determined that the Sigma degrees emission asymmetry parameter for this decay is alpha(XiSigma) = -0.63+/-0.09.