Measurement of the I=1/2 Kπ S-wave amplitude from Dalitz plot analyses of ηc → K(K)over-barπ in two-photon interactions

We study the processes gamma gamma -> (KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+) and gamma gamma -> K+K-pi(0) using a data sample of 519 fb(-1) recorded with the BABAR detector operating at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider at center-of-mass energies at and near the Upsilon(nS) (n = 2, 3, 4) resonances. We observe eta(c) decays to both final states and perform Dalitz plot analyses using a model-independent partial wave analysis technique. This allows a model-independent measurement of the mass-dependence of the I = 1/2 K pi S-wave amplitude and phase. A comparison between the present measurement and those from previous experiments indicates similar behavior for the phase up to a mass of 1.5 GeV/c(2). In contrast, the amplitudes show very marked differences. The data require the presence of a new a(0)(1950) resonance with parameters m = 1931 +/- 14 +/- 22 MeV/c(2) and Gamma = 271 +/- 22 +/- 29 MeV.