Mechanism for the Difference in Lifetimes of Charged and NeutralDMesons

Abstract

The reaction $D^0\to s+\overline{d}+\mathrm{gluon}$ is proposed as a source for the difference in the life-times of the charged and neutral $D$ mesons. In a nonrelativistic bound-state model the rate for the reaction is found to depend on the ratio $\frac{f_D}{m_u}$. For reasonable values of this ratio the observed difference in the lifetimes may be accounted for.