Search for new hadronic decays of hc and observation of hc →K+K-π+π-π0

Ten hadronic final states of the hc decays are investigated via the process ψ(3686)→π0hc, using a data sample of (448.1±2.9)×106 ψ(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector. The decay channel hc→K+K-π+π-π0 is observed for the first time and has a measured significance of 6.0σ. The corresponding branching fraction is determined to be B(hc→K+K-π+π-π0)=(3.3±0.6±0.6)×10-3 (where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively). Evidence for the decays hc→π+π-π0η and hc→KS0K±π∓π+π- is found with a significance of 3.6σ and 3.8σ, respectively. The corresponding branching fractions (and upper limits) are obtained to be B(hc→π+π-π0η)=(7.2±1.8±1.3)×10-3 (<1.8×10-2) and B(hc→KS0K±π∓π+π-)=(2.8±0.9±0.5)×10-3 (<4.7×10-3). Upper limits on the branching fractions for the final states hc→K+K-π0, K+K-η, K+K-π+π-η, 2(K+K-)π0, K+K-π0η, KS0K±π∓, and pp¯π0π0 are determined at a confidence level of 90%.