Measurement of the B-d(0)-(B)over-bar(d)(0) flavor oscillation frequency and study of same side flavor tagging of B mesons in p(p)over-bar collisions

Abstract

B-d(0)-(B) over bar(d)(0) oscillations are observed in ''self-tagged'' samples of partially reconstructed B mesons decaying into a lepton and a charmed meson collected in p (p) over bar collisions at root s = 1.8 TeV. A flavor tagging technique is employed which relies upon the correlation between the flavor of B mesons and the charge of a nearby particle. We measure the flavor oscillation frequency to be Delta m(d) = 0.471 (+0.078)(-0.068) +/- 0.034 ps(-1). The tagging method is also demonstrated in exclusive samples of B-u(+) --> J/psi K+ and B-d(0)-->J/psi K-*0(892), where similar flavor-charge correlations are observed. The tagging characteristics of the various samples are compared with each other, and with Monte Carlo simulations. [S0556-2821(99)05901-9].