Observation of e^(+)e^(-)→pppñπ-+c.c.

Using data taken at 29 center-of-mass energies between 4.16 and 4.70 GeV with the BESⅢdetector at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of approximately 18.8 fb^(-1),the process e^(+)e^(-)→pppñπ+c.c.is observed for the first time with a statistical significance of 11.5σ.The average Born cross sections in the energy ranges of(4.160,4.380)GeV,(4.400,4.600)GeV and(4.610,4.700)GeV are measured to be(21.5±5.7±1.2)fb,(46.3±10.6±2.5)fb and(59.0±9.4±3.2)fb,respectively,where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.The line shapes of the pñ and ppπ^(-)invariant mass spectra are consistent with phase space distributions,indicating that no hexaquark or di-baryon state is observed.

Search for hidden-charm tetraquark with strangeness in e^(+)e^(−)→K^(+)D_(s)^(∗−) D^(∗0 )+ c.c.

We report a search for a heavier partner of the recently observed Z_(cs)(3985)^(-) state,denoted as Z_(cs)^('-),in the process e^(+)e^(−)→K^(+)D_(s)^(∗−) D^(∗0 )+ c.c.,based on e^(*)e^(-)collision data collected at the center-of-mass energies of √s=4.661,4.682 and 4.699 GeV with the BESIII detector.The Z_(cs)^('-) is of interest as it is expected to be a candidate for a hidden-charm and open-strange tetraquark.A partial-reconstruction technique is used to isolate K^(+)recoil-mass spectra,which are probed for a potential contribution from Z_(cs)^('-)→D_(s)^(∗−) D^(∗0 )+ c.c.We find an excess of Z_(cs)^('-)→D_(s)^(*-)-D^(*0)(c.c.)candidates with a significance of 2.1o,after considering systematic uncertainties,at a mass of(4123.5±0.7_(sat)±4.7_(syst.))MeV/c^(2).As the data set is limited in size,the upper limits are evaluated at the 90%confidence level on the product of the Born cross sections(σ^(Borm))and the branching fraction(B)of Z_(cs)^('-)→D_(s)^(*-)-D^(*0),under different assumptions of the Z_(cs)^('-) mass from 4.120 to 4.140 MeV and of the width from 10 to 50 MeV at the three center-of-mass energies.The upper limits of σ^(Born).B are found to be at the level of O(1)pb at each energy.Larger data samples are needed to confirm the Z_(cs)^('-) state and clarify its nature in the coming years.

Search for the weak decayψ(3686)→■+c.c.

Using(448.1±2.9)×10^(6)ψ(3686)for the weak baryonic decayψ(3686)→Λc+∑-+c.c..The analysis procedure is optimized using a blinded method.No significant signal is observed,and the upper limit on the branching fraction(B)ofψ(3686)→Λc+∑-+c.c.is set as 1.4×10^(-5)at the 90%confidence level.

Observations of the Cabibbo-Suppressed decays Λ_(c)^(+)→nπ+π^(0),nπ^(+)π^(-)π^(+) and the Cabibbo-Favored decay Λ_(c)^(+)→nK^(-)π^(+)π^(+)

Using electron-positron annihilation data samples corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.5 fb-1,collected by the BESⅢdetector in the energy region between 4599.53 MeV and 4698.82 MeV,we report the first observations of the Cabibbo-suppressed decaysΛ_(c)^(+)→nπ^(+)π^(0),Λ_(c)^(+)→nπ^(+)π^(-)π^(+),and the Cabibbo-favored decayΛ_(c)^(+)→nK^(-)π^(+)π^(+)with statistical significances of 7.9σ,7.8σ,and>10σ,respectively.The branching fractions of these decays are measured to be B(Λ_(c)^(+)→nπ^(+)π^(0))=(0.64±0.09±0.02)%,B(Λ_(c)^(+)→nπ^(+)π^(-)π^(+))=(0.45±0.07±0.03)%,and B(Λ_(c)^(+)→nK^(-)π^(+)π^(+))=(1.90±0.08±0.09)%,where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.We find that the branching fraction of the decayΛ_(c)^(+)→nπ^(+)π^(0)is about one order of magnitude higher than that ofΛ_(c)^(+)→nπ^(+).

Measurements of the center-of-mass energies of e^(+)e^(-)collisions at BESIII

During the 2016-17 and 2018-19 running periods,the BESIII experiment collected 7.5 fb of e^(+)e^(-)collision data at center-of-mass energies ranging from 4.13 to 4.44 GeV.These data samples are primarily used for the study of excited charmonium and charmoniumlike states.By analyzing the di-muon process e^(+)e^(-)→(γISR=FSR)μ^(+)μ^(-),we measure the center-of-mass energies of the data samples with a precision of 0.6 MeV.Through a run-by-run study,we find that the center-of-mass energies were stable throughout most of the data-collection period.

Future Physics Programme of BESⅢ

There has recently been a dramatic renewal of interest in hadron spectroscopy and charm physics. This renaissance has been driven in part by the discovery of a plethora of charmonium-like XYZ states at BESⅢ and B factories, and the observation of an intriguing proton-antiproton threshold enhancement and the possibly related X(1835) meson state at BESⅢ, as well as the threshold measurements of charm mesons and charm baryons. We present a detailed survey of the important topics in tau-charm physics and hadron physics that can be further explored at BESⅢ during the remaining operation period of BEPCⅡ. This survey will help in the optimization of the data-taking plan over the coming years, and provides physics motivation for the possible upgrade of BEPCⅡ to higher luminosity.

Study of BESIII trigger efficiencies with the 2018 J/ψ data

Using a dedicated data sample taken in 2018 on the J/ψpeak,we perform a detailed study of the trigger efficiencies of the BESIII detector.The efficiencies are determined from three representative physics processes,namely Bhabha scattering,dimuon production and generic hadronic events with charged particles.The combined efficiency of all active triggers approaches 100%in most cases,with uncertainties small enough not to affect most physics analyses.

Observation of e^+e^-→D_s^+■^((*)0)K^- and study of the P-wave D_s mesons

Studies of e^+e~→D_s^+■^((*)0)K^-and the P-wave charmed-strange mesons are performed based on an e^+e^-collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 567 pb^(-1) collected with the BESIII detector at s^(1/2)=4.600 GeV. The processes of e^+e^-→D_s^+■^(*0)K^- and D_s^+■~0K^- are observed for the first time and are found to be dominated by the modes D_s^+D_(s1)(2536)^-and D_s^+D_(s2)~*(2573)^-, respectively. The Born cross sections are measured to be σ~B(e^+e^-→D_s^+■^(*0)K^-) =(10.1±2.3±0.8) pb and σ~B(e^+e^-→D_s^+■~0K^-) =(19.4±2.3± 1.6) pb, and the products of Born cross section and the decay branching fraction are measured to be σ~B(e^+e^-→D_s^+D_(s1)(2536)^-+c.c.)·B(D_(s1)(2536)^-→■^(*0)K^-)=(7.5±1.8±0.7) pb and σ~B(e^+e^-→D_s^+D_(s2)~*(2573)^-+ c.c.)·B(D_(s2)~*(2573)^-→■~0 K^-)=(19.7 ± 2.9 ±2.0) pb. For the D_(s1)(2536)^-and D_(s2)~*(2573)^-mesons, the masses and widths are measured to be M(D_(s1)(2536)^-)=(2537.7±0.5 ±3.1) MeV/c2, Γ(D_(s1)(2536)^-) =(1.7 ±1.2 ±0.6)MeV, and M(D_(s2)~*(2573)^-)=(2570.7±2.0 ±1.7) MeV/c^2, Γ(D_(s2)~*(2573)^-)=(17.2 ±3.6 ±1.1) MeV. The spin-parity of the D_(s2)~*(2573)^-meson is determined to be J^p= 2^+. In addition, the processes e^+e^-→D_s^+■^((*)0)K^-are searched for using the data samples taken at four(two) center-of-mass energies between 4.416(4.527) and 4.575 GeV, and upper limits at the 90% confidence level on the cross sections are determined.

Evidence for the decays of ∧_c^+→∑^+η and ∑^+η’

We study the hadronic decays of ∧c+ to the final states ∑+η and ∑+η’,using an e+e-annihilation data sample of 567 pb-1 taken at a center-of-mass energy of 4.6 GeV with the BESIII detector at the BEPCⅡ collider.We find evidence for the decays ∧c+→∑+η and ∑+η’ with statistical significance of 2.5σ and 3.2σ,respectively.Normalizing to the reference decays ∧c+→∑+π0 and ∑+ω,we obtain the ratios of the branching fractions■and ■to be 0.35±0.16±0.02 and 0.86±0.34±0.04,respectively.The upper limits at the 90% confidence level are set to be■and■.Using BESIII measurements of the branching fractions of the reference decays,we determine B（∧c+→∑+η）=（0.41±0.19±0.05）%（<0.68%）and B（∧c+→∑+η’）=（1.34±0.53 ±0.19）%（<1.9%）.Here,the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.The obtained branching fraction of ∧c+→∑+η is consistent with the previous measurement,and the branching fraction of ∧c+→∑+η’ is measured for the first time.

Number of J/ψ events at BESIII

Using inclusive decays of J/ψ aprecise determination of the number of J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector was performed.For the two data sets taken in 2009 and 2012,the numbers of J/ψ events were recalculated to be(224.0±1.3)×10^(6) and(1088.5±4.4)×10^(6),respectively;these numbers are in good agreement with the previous measurements. For the J/ψ sample taken in 2017-2019,the number of events was determined to be(8774.0±39.4)×10^(6).The total number of J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector was determined to be(10087±44)×10^(6),where the uncertainty is dominated by systematic effects,and the statistical uncertainty is negligible.