First observation of the decay Ds+-->pn

Using e+e--->Ds*-Ds+ data collected near the peak Ds production energy, Ecm=4170 MeV, with the CLEO-c detector, we present the first observation of the decay Ds+-->pn. We measure a branching fraction B(Ds+-->pn)=(1.30+/-0.36(-0.16)+0.12)x10(-3). This is the first observation of a charmed meson decaying into a baryon-antibaryon final state.     

Study of the decays D0-->pi{-}e{+}nu{e}, D{0}-->K{-}e{+}nu{e}, D{+}-->pi{0}e{+}nu{e}, and D{+}-->K0e{+}nu{e}

By using 1.8x10{6} DDpairs, we have measured B(D{0}-->pi{-}e{+}nu{e})=0.299(11)(9)%, B(D{+}-->pi{0}e{+}nu{e})=0.373(22)(13)%, B(D{0}-->K{-}e{+}nu{e})=3.56(3)(9)%, and B(D{+}-->K{0}e{+}nu{e})=8.53(13)(23)% and have studied the q;{2} dependence of the form factors. By combining our results with recent lattice calculations, we obtain |V{cd}|=0.217(9)(4)(23) and |V{cs}|=1.015(10)(11)(106).     

Precision measurement of the mass of the hc(1P1) state of charmonium

A precision measurement of the mass of the h_{c}(1P1) state of charmonium has been made using a sample of 24.5x10;{6} psi(2S) events produced in e;{+}e;{-} annihilation at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). The reaction used was psi(2S)-->pi;{0}h_{c}, pi;{0}-->gammagamma, h_{c}-->gammaeta_{c}, and the reaction products were detected in the CLEO-c detector. Data have been analyzed both for the inclusive reaction and for the exclusive reactions in which eta_{c} decays are reconstructed in 15 hadronic decay channels. Consistent results are obtained in the two analyses. The averaged results of the present measurements are M(h_{c})=3525.28+/-0.19(stat.)+/-0.12(syst.) MeV, and B(psi(2S)-->pi;{0}h_{c})xB(h_{c}-->gammaeta_{c})=(4.19+/-0.32+/-0.45)x10;{-4}. Using the ;{3}P_{J} centroid mass, DeltaM_{hf}(1P) identical withM(chi_{cJ})-M(h_{c})=+0.02+/-0.19+/-0.13 MeV.     

Observation of J/psi-->3gamma

We report the first observation of the decay J/psi-->3gamma. The signal has a statistical significance of 6sigma and corresponds to a branching fraction of B(J/psi-->3gamma)=(1.2+/-0.3+/-0.2)x10;{-5}, in which the errors are statistical and systematic, respectively. The measurement uses psi(2S)-->pi;{+}pi;{-}J/psi events acquired with the CLEO-c detector operating at the CESR e;{+}e;{-} collider.     

Determination of non-traditional intrinsic fluorescence (NTIF) emission sites in 1-(4-carbomethoxypyrrolidone)-PAMAM dendrimers using CNDP-based quenching studies

A unique photoluminescent phenomenon producing inexplicable, blue emissions [λ_Ex?=?365 nm; λ_Em?=?460 nm] in the absence of traditional aromatic fluorophores has been observed in a variety of surface functionalized poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers over the past two decades. This emission phenomenon, referred to as non-traditional intrinsic fluorescence (NTIF), originates from the intra-molecular clustering of electron-rich sub-fluorophores (i.e., tertiary amines and/or amido groups) residing in the interior of all PAMAM dendrimers. The intra-molecular clustering of these interior sub-fluorophores is hypothesized to account for the modest but reproducible, blue emissions observed for a variety of dendrimer surface moieties (i.e., –OH, –CO₂H, and –NH₂). Unexpectedly, a simple, one-step conversion of amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimers to 1-(4-carbomethyoxy) pyrrolidone-terminated dendrimers (4-CMP) was found to produce a 50-fold increase in blue NTIF emission compared to other surface moieties. In an effort to understand this new enhanced emission property, critical nanoscale design parameter (CNDP)-directed quenching experiments were devised to probe the increased NTIF emissions. Was it originating from the interior sub-fluorophoric tertiary amine/amido moieties or from the surface-attached, sub-fluorophoric pyrrolidone amido groups or both? Four generations of 4-CMP PAMAM dendrimers were examined. Two classical quenchers, namely, potassium iodide and acrylamide were selected to probe surface versus interior domains, respectively, as a function of predictable CNDPs associated with generation levels. With increasing dendrimer generation, quencher penetration into the dendrimer interior is impeded due to CNDP-directed generational congestion. Stern-Volmer plots for each quencher, as a function of generation, exhibited appropriate linear or non-linear correlations that corroborated behavior expected for two distinct region-specific emission sites.