Measurement of branching fractions of Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$K$^0_S$ and Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$η at Belle
We present a study of a singly Cabibbo-suppressed decay Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$K$^0_S$ and a Cabibbo-favored decay Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$η based on 980 fb -1 of data collected by the Belle detector, operating at the KEKB energy-asymmetric e + e - collider. We measure their branching fractions relative to Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$: $\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$K$^0_S$)/$\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$) = (1.48 ± 0.08 ± 0.04) × 10 -2 and $\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$η)/$\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$) = (2.73 ± 0.06 ± 0.13) × 10 -1 . Combining with the world average $\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$), we have the absolute branching fractions, $\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$K$^0_S$) = (2.35 ± 0.12 ± 0.07 ± 0.12) × 10 -4 and $\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$η) = (4.35 ± 0.10 ± 0.20 ± 0.22) × 10 -3 . The first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively, while the third ones arise from the uncertainty on $\mathscr{B}$(Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$). The mode Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$K$^0_S$ is observed for the first time and has a statistical significance of >10σ. The branching fraction of Λ$^+_c$ → pK$^0_S$η has been measured with a threefold improvement in precision over previous results and is found to be consistent with the world average.