A study of charm hadron production in Z(0)->c(c)over-bar and Z(0)->b(b)over-bar decays at LEP

Measurements of the production of the weakly decaying charmed hadrons: D-0, D+, D-s(+) and Lambda(c)(+) in both Z(0) --> <c(c)over bar> and Z(0) --> <b(b)over bar> events are reported. By summing the partial contributions from each of these states we measure the partial width for Z(0) decays into a <c(c)over bar> pair as: Gamma(<(cc)over bar>)/Gamma(had) = 0.167 +/- 0.011(stat) +/- 0.011(sys) +/- 0.005(br) where the errors are statistical, systematic and due to the uncertainties in the charmed hadron branching ratios, respectively. The relative production rates for the formation of the charmed hadrons from primary c quarks is found to be in good agreement with continuum e(+)e(-) data at root s approximate to 10 GeV. The measured rates of these four charmed hadrons in b hadron decays is found to account for 1.061 +/- 0.045(stat) +/- 0.060(sys) +/- 0.037(br) c or (c) over bar quarks per b hadron decay. Comparison of the relative rates of the different charmed hadron species with Gamma(4S) data indicates higher rates for D-s(+) and Lambda(c)(+) hadrons and lower rates of D-0 and D+ mesons as expected due to the different mixture of b hadrons.