Abstract: (APS)
A study of 13.3×106 stopped K+ in a heavy-liquid bubble chamber yielded 269 Ke4 decays of the type e+π+π−ν, a total greater by a factor of 4 than the number found in a previous experiment. No examples of e−π+π+ν¯ were found. With 95% confidence, the upper limit for the decay rate of Ke4(e−) was found to be 56 sec−1. The rate for Ke4(e+) was found to be (2.60±0.30)×103 sec−1. The angular distributions and the dipion invariant-mass plot have been fitted by varying the form factors fs, fp, g, and h, and the difference between s- and p-wave π−π phase shift. Two acceptable solutions have been found. Both agree that the vector form factor h is significantly nonzero and that its sign is negative with respect to that of fg. Also, it has been found necessary to include fp in order to obtain a good fit. Although both solutions give the magnitude of the phase difference to be 25±9 deg, the two estimates have opposite sign. No evidence of a σ resonance is seen. The angular distributions are found to be consistent with time-reversal invariance, and with the locality of lepton production.
  • kaon: leptonic decay
  • leptonic decay: kaon
  • final state
  • positron: pion plus: pion minus: neutrino
  • plus: final state
  • final state: plus
  • minus: final state
  • final state: minus
  • partial wave
  • pion-pion: final-state interaction