We have measured the lifetimes of the $D^0$, $D^{+}$, and $D_s^{+}$ mesons which were produced by a high-energy photon beam incident on beryllium. Using the Fermilab Tagged Photon Spectrometer with a silicon-microstrip vertex detector we have collected ${10}^8$ events from which we have extracted about 4200 $D^0$ decays in the $K^{\mathrm{-}}$${\pi }^{+}$ and $K^{\mathrm{-}}$${\pi }^{+}$${\pi }^{\mathrm{-}}$${\pi }^{+}$ modes, 3000 $D^{+}$ into the $K^{\mathrm{-}}$${\pi }^{+}$${\pi }^{+}$ channel, and a total of 230 $D_s^{+}$ into φ${\pi }^{+}$ and K${¯}^{\mathrm{*}0}$$K^{+}$. From an analysis of these events we have determined the lifetimes for the $D^0$, $D^{+}$, and $D_s^{+}$ to be 0.422±0.008±0.010, 1.090±0.030±0.025, and 0.47±0.04±0.02 psec, respectively.

• Received 21 September 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.37.2391