Production of P-wave charm and charm-strange mesons in hadronic Z(0) decays

Results are presented on the production of excited charm and excited charm-strange mesons in hadronic Z(0) decays. The results are obtained from approximately 4.3 million hadronic Z(0) decays, collected on or near the Z(0) resonance using the OPAL detector at LEP. The D-1(0)(2420) and D*(0)(2)(2460) mesons are reconstructed in the D*(+)pi(-) final state and their separate production rates in charm fragmentation and in weak decays of b-hadrons are determined. Assuming that the decay widths of these mesons are saturated by the allowed D*pi and D pi final states, the charm hadronization fractions and the inclusive branching ratios of b-hadrons to these neutral P-wave charm mesons are determined to be f(c --> D-1(0)) = 0.021 +/- 0.007(stat) +/- 0.003(syst), f(c --> D*(0)(2)) = 0.052 +/- 0.022(stat)+/- 0.013(syst), f(b --> D-1(0)) = 0.050 +/- 0.014(stat) +/- 0.006(syst), f(b --> D*(0)(2)) = 0.047 +/- 0.024(stat) +/- 0.013(syst). We also present the first observation at LEP of the D-s1(+)(2536) meson which is reconstructed in both the D*K-+(s)0 and D*K-0(+) final states After correcting for the expected contribution from bb events, assuming that the D*K channels saturate the available final states, these results are used to derive the charm hadronization fraction f(c --> D-s1(+)): f(c --> D-s1(+)) = 0.016 +/- 0.004(stat) +/- 0.003(syst).