Hadronic B Decays to Open Charm at the BaBar Experiment

Using about 23M B(bar B) events collected in 1999-2000 with the BABAR detector, we report on the decays B → D(*)(bar D)(*) K and B0 → D*+ D*-. The branching fractions of the low background decay modes B0 → D*- D(*)0 K+ are determined to be Β(B0 → D*- and D0 K+) = (2.8 ± 0.7 ± 0.5) x 10-3 and Β(B0 → D*- and D0 K+) = (6.8 ± 1.7 ± 1.7) x10-3, where the first error quoted is statistical and the second systematic. Observation of a significant number of candidates in the color-suppressed decay mode B+ → D*+ D*- K+ is reported with a branching fraction Β(B+ → D*+ D*- K+) = (3.4 ± 1.6 ± 0.9) x 10-3. Decays of the type B → D(*) (bar D)(*) can be used to provide a measurement of the parameter sin2β of the Unitarity Triangle. For this decay mode we measure a branching fraction of Β(B0 → D*+ D*-) = (8.0 ± 1.6 ± 1.2) x 10-4. All results presented here are preliminary