Experimental study of K degrees to pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi degrees decays and search for CP violation

The time distribution of 180 uniquely identified pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi degrees decays of the K degrees meson between 0.04 and 20 K/sub S //sup o/ lifetimes has been studied. The authors find that the ratio eta /sub +-o/ of the K/sub S//sup o/ to pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi degrees to the K/sub L//sup o/ to pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi degrees amplitude is consistent with no CP violation. Their results confine eta /sub +-o/ to approximately 0<Re eta /sub +-o/<-2 with small negative values of Im eta /sub +-o/. If they set Re eta /sub +-o/=0, they obtain Im eta /sub +-o/=0.37/sub -0.34//sup +0.47/. If in addition they use the known value of Gamma (K/sub L//sup o/ to pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi degrees ) they obtain Im eta =-0.23/sub -0.25//sup +0.31/. Without these restrictions, a more accurate determination of eta /sub +-o/ can only be made, with the present statistics, by a combination of K degrees and K degrees data. Assuming eta /sub +-o/=0, we find Gamma (K/sub L//sup o/ to pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi degrees )= (2.35+or-0.20)*10-/sup 6/s/sup -1/. (14 refs).