Search for new physics in rare decays of mesons at the LHCb experiment

Diese Arbeit präsentiert Suchen nach den rein leptonischen Zerfällen Bs0 → e+e- und B0 → e+e-, ebenso wie den leptonfamilienzahlverletzenden Zerfällen B+ → K+ e+ μ-. Da diese Zerfälle im Standardmodell selten oder verboten sind ermöglichen sie Nulltests des Standardmodells. Außerdem ermöglichen Messungen dieser Kanäle es Modellen von Physik jenseits des Standardmodells Einschränkungen aufzuerlegen. Die Suche nach den Zerfällen Bs0 → e+e- und B0 → e+e- nutzt Daten, welche vom LHCb Experiment in den Jahren 2011, 2012, 2015 und 2016 aufgezeichnet wurden und stellt die erste Suche am LHC nach diesen Zerfällen dar. Die bestimmten oberen Ausschlussgrenzen auf die Verzweigungsverhältnisse von Bs0 → e+e- und B0 → e+e- liegen in der Größenordnung O(10-8), was die vorhergegangenen Ausschlussgrenzen um einen Faktor 30 verbessert. Die Suche nach den leptonfamilienzahlverletzenden Zerfällen B+ → K+ e+ μ- nutzt den kompletten LHCb Datensatz, was obigen Datensätzen die Daten aus den Jahren 2017 und 2018 hinzufügt und so die Menge der B Mesonen im analysierten Datensatz effektiv verdoppelt. Da diese Analyse noch nicht veröffentlicht wurde, wird der Status der Analyse zum Zeitpunkt der Abfassung dieses Textes präsentiert.In this thesis searches for the purely leptonic decays Bs0 → e+e- and B0 → e+e- as well as the lepton-flavour violating decays B+ → K+ e+ μ- are presented. As these decays are rare or forbidden in the Standard Model, these searches allow for null tests of the Standard Model. Measurements of these decays also allow to place constraints on scenarios of physics beyond the Standard Model. The search for the decays Bs0 → e+e- and B0 → e+e- uses data collected by the LHCb experiment in the years 2011, 2012,2015 and 2016, it is the first search for these decays at the LHC. Upper limits on the brnaching fractions of Bs0 → e+e- and B0 → e+e- are set at the order of O(10-8), improving the previous limits by a factor of 30. The search for the lepton-flavour violating decays B+ → K+ e+ μ- uses the full LHCb dataset, adding to the above the data collected in 2017 and 2018, effectively doubling the amount of B mesons i

Hyperbranched Rigid Aromatic Phosphorus-Containing Flame Retardants for Epoxy Resins

A rigid aromatic phosphorus-containing hyperbranched flame retardant structure is synthesized from 10-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-10H-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO-HQ), tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide (THPPO), and 1,4-terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). The resulting poly-(DOPO-HQ/THPPO-terephthalate) (PDTT) is implemented as a flame retardant into an epoxy resin (EP) at a 10 wt% loading. The effects on EP are compared with those of the monomer DOPO-HQ and triphenylphosphine oxide (OPPh3) as low molar mass flame retardants. The glass transition temperature, thermal decomposition, flammability (reaction to small flame), and burning behavior of the thermosets are investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry, UL 94-burning chamber testing, and cone calorimeter measurements. Although P-contents are low at only 0.6 wt%, the study aims not at attaining V-0, but at presenting a proof of principle: Epoxy resinswith PDTT show promising fire performance, exhibiting a 25% reduction in total heat evolved (THE), a 30% reduction in peak heat release rate (PHRR) due to flame inhibition (21% reduction in effective heat of combustion (EHC)), and an increase in T-g at the same time. This study indicates that rigid aromatic hyperbranched polymeric structures offer a promising route toward multifunctional flame retardancy

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Multiple List Learning in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parallels with Frontal Lobe Damage or Further Evidence of Diminished Relational Processing?

To test the effects of providing relational cues at encoding and/or retrieval on multi-trial, multi-list free recall in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 16 adults with ASD and 16 matched typical adults learned a first followed by a second categorised list of 24 words. Category labels were provided at encoding, retrieval, both or not at all. Both groups showed enhanced recall when labels were available during encoding or throughout the task. ASD individuals showed reduced recall of the second list and reduced clustering. Clustering and recall were correlated in both groups, which also showed similar levels of subjective organisation. The findings are discussed in relation to theories of frontal and medial temporal lobe contributions to memory in ASD

Measurement of CP observables in the process B ⁰ → DK ^*0 with two- and four-body D decays

Measurements of $C\!P$ observables in $B^0 \to DK^{*0}$ decays are presented, where $D$ represents a superposition of $D^0$ and $\bar{D}^0$ states. The $D$ meson is reconstructed in the two-body final states $K^+\pi^-$, $\pi^+ K^-$, $K^+K^-$ and $\pi^+\pi^-$, and, for the first time, in the four-body final states $K^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$, $\pi^+ K^-\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$. The analysis uses a sample of neutral $B$ mesons produced in proton-proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0, 2.0 and 1.8 $\rm fb^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s} =$ 7, 8 and 13 TeV, respectively. First observations of the decays $B^0 \to D(\pi^+ K^-)K^{*0}$ and $B^0 \to D(\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-)K^{*0}$ are obtained. The measured observables are interpreted in terms of the $C\!P$-violating weak phase $\gamma$

Observation of the Λb0→χc1 (3872) pK⁻ decay

Using proton-proton collision data, collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to 1.0, 2.0 and 1.9fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity at the centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, respectively, the decay $\Lambda_b^0\to \chi_{c1}(3872)pK^-$ with $\chi_{c1}\to J/\psi\pi^+\pi^-$ is observed for the first time. The significance of the observed signal is in excess of seven standard deviations. It is found that $(58\pm15)\%$ of the decays proceed via the two-body intermediate state $\chi_{c1}(3872)\Lambda(1520)$. The~branching fraction with respect to that of the $\Lambda_b\rightarrow\psi(2S)p K^{-}$ decay mode, where the $\psi(2S)$~meson is reconstructed in the $J/\psi \pi^+\pi^-$ final state, is measured to be: \begin{equation*} \frac{\Lambda_b^0\to\chi_{c1}(3872)pK^-}{\Lambda_b\to\psi(2S)p K^-} \times \frac{\mathcal{B}(\chi_{c1} \to J/\psi \pi^+\pi^-)}{\mathcal{B}(\psi(2S)\to J/\psi \pi^+\pi^-)} = \left(5.4 \pm 1.1 \pm 0.2\right)\times 10^{-2}\,, \end{equation*} where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic

Updated measurement of time-dependent CP -violating observables in Bs0→J/ψ^K+^K- decays

The decay-time-dependent $CP$ asymmetry in $B^{0}_{s}\to J/\psi K^{+} K^{-}$ decays is measured using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1.9\,\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$, collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of $13\,\mathrm{TeV}$ in 2015 and 2016. Using a sample of approximately 117\,000 signal decays with an invariant $K^{+} K^{-}$ mass in the vicinity of the $\phi(1020)$ resonance, the $CP$-violating phase $\phi_s$ is measured, along with the difference in decay widths of the light and heavy mass eigenstates of the $B^{0}_{s}$-$\bar{B}^{0}_{s}$ system, $\Delta\Gamma_s$. The difference of the average $B^{0}_{s}$ and $B^{0}$ meson decay widths, $\Gamma_s-\Gamma_d$, is determined using in addition a sample of $B^{0} \to J/\psi K^{+} \pi^{-}$ decays. The values obtained are $\phi_s = -0.083\pm0.041\pm0.006\,\mathrm{rad}$, $\Delta\Gamma_s = 0.077 \pm 0.008 \pm 0.003\, \mathrm{ps^{-1}}$ and $\Gamma_s-\Gamma_d = -0.0041 \pm 0.0024 \pm 0.0015\,\mathrm{ps^{-1}}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. These are the most precise single measurements of these quantities to date and are consistent with expectations based on the Standard Model and with a previous LHCb analysis of this decay using data recorded at centre-of-mass energies 7 and 8 TeV. Finally, the results are combined with recent results from $B^{0}_{s}\to J/\psi \pi^{+} \pi^{-}$ decays obtained using the same dataset as this analysis, and with previous independent LHCb results

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D∗)\mathcal{R}(D^{*}) and R(D0)\mathcal{R}(D^{0})

The ratios of branching fractions $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})\equiv\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})\equiv\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb${ }^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode $\tau^{-}\to\mu^{-}\nu_{\tau}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$. The measured values are $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})=0.281\pm0.018\pm0.024$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})=0.441\pm0.060\pm0.066$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is $\rho=-0.43$. Results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb public pages