Model Independent Extraction of S-Matrix Poles from Experimental Data

By separating data points close to a resonance into intervals, and fitting all possible intervals to a simple pole with constant coherently added background, we obtained a substantial number of convergent fits. After a carefully chosen set of statistical constraints was imposed, we calculated the average of a resonance pole position from the statistically acceptable results. We used this method to find pole positions of Z and N(1440) resonances, and to show that the strong discrepancy between the old and new measurements of the Upsilon(11020) mass stems from specious comparison of the Upsilon(11020) pole with its Breit-Wigner mass.