Elliptic flow of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV

We report the first measurement of charged particle elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is performed in the central pseudorapidity region (|$\eta$|<0.8) and transverse momentum range 0.2< $p_{\rm T}$< 5.0 GeV/$c$. The elliptic flow signal v$_2$, measured using the 4-particle correlation method, averaged over transverse momentum and pseudorapidity is 0.087 $\pm$ 0.002 (stat) $\pm$ 0.004 (syst) in the 40-50% centrality class. The differential elliptic flow v$_2(p_{\rm T})$ reaches a maximum of 0.2 near $p_{\rm T}$ = 3 GeV/$c$. Compared to RHIC Au-Au collisions at 200 GeV, the elliptic flow increases by about 30%. Some hydrodynamic model predictions which include viscous corrections are in agreement with the observed increase.Comment: 10 pages, 4 captioned figures, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/389

Higher harmonic anisotropic flow measurements of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of the triangular $v_3$, quadrangular $v_4$, and pentagonal $v_5$ charged particle flow in Pb-Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We show that the triangular flow can be described in terms of the initial spatial anisotropy and its fluctuations, which provides strong constraints on its origin. In the most central events, where the elliptic flow $v_2$ and $v_3$ have similar magnitude, a double peaked structure in the two-particle azimuthal correlations is observed, which is often interpreted as a Mach cone response to fast partons. We show that this structure can be naturally explained from the measured anisotropic flow Fourier coefficients.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/387

Search for the decay D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-)mu(+)mu(-)

A search for the D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) decay, where the muon pair does not originate from a resonance, is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) recorded by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. No signal is observed and an upper limit on the relative branching fraction with respect to the resonant decay mode D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-)phi(-> mu(+)mu(-)), under the assumption of a phase-space model, is found to be B(D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-)mu(+)mu(-))/B(D-0 -> pi(+)pi(-)phi(-> mu(+)mu(-))) pi(+)pi(-)mu(+)mu(-)) < 5.5 x 10(-7) at 90% confidence level. This is the most stringent to date

Observation of the decay B-s(0) -> (D)over-bar(0)phi

First observation of the decay B-s(0) -> (D) over bar (0)phi is reported using pp collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The significance of the signal is 6.5 standard deviations. The branching fraction is measured relative to that of the decay B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)phi to be beta B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)phi/beta B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)(K) over bar*(0) = 0.069 +/- 0.013 (stat) +/- 0.007 (syst). The first measurement of the ratio of branching fractions for the decays beta B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)(K) over bar*(0) and beta B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)(K) over bar*(0) is found to be beta B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)(K) over bar*(0/)beta B-S(0) -> (D) over bar (0)(K) over bar*(0=7.8) +/- 0.7(stat) +/- 0.3 (syst) +/- 0.6 (f(s)/f(d)) where the last uncertainty is due to the ratio of the B(s)(0)and B-0 fragmentation fractions

Study of the rare B-s(0) and B-0 decays into the pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) final state

A search for the rare decays B-s(0) -> pi(+) pi-mu(+) mu-and B-0 -> pi(+) pi-mu(+) mu-is performed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Decay candidates with pion pairs that have invariant mass in the range 0.5-1.3GeV/c(2) and with muon pairs that do not originate from a resonance are considered. The first observation of the decay B-s(0) -> pi(+) pi-mu(+) mu- and the first evidence of the decay B-0 -> pi(+) pi-mu(+) mu-are obtained and the branching fractions, restricted to the dipion-mass range considered, are measured to be B(B-s(0) -> pi(+) pi-mu(+) mu(-)) =(8.6 +/- 1.5(stat) +/- 0.7(syst) +/- 0.7 (norm)) x 10(-8) and B(B-0 -> pi(+) pi-mu(+) mu(-)) =(2.11 +/- 0.51(stat) +/- 0.15(syst) +/- 0.16(norm)) x10(-8), where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay B-0. -> J/Psi(mu(+) mu(-)) K*(892)(0)(-> K+ pi(-)), used as a normalisation. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Precision measurement of the ratio of the Lambda(0)(b) to (B)over-bar(0) lifetimes

The LHCb measurement of the lifetime ratio of the Lambda(0)(b) baryon to the (B) over bar (0) meson is updated using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected using 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energy pp collisions at the LHC. The decay modes used are Lambda(0)(b) -> J/psi pK(-) and (B) over bar (0) -> J/psi pi K-+(-), where the pi K-+(-) mass is consistent with that of the (K) over bar*(0)(892) meson. The lifetime ratio is determined with unprecedented precision to be 0.974 +/- 0.006 +/- 0.004, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This result is in agreement with original theoretical predictions based on the heavy quark expansion. Using the current world average of the (B) over bar (0) lifetime, the Lambda(0)(b) lifetime is found to be 1.479 +/- 0.009 +/- 0.010 ps. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

LHCb detector performance

The LHCb detector is a forward spectrometer at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The experiment is designed for precision measurements of CP violation and rare decays of beauty and charm hadrons. In this paper the performance of the various LHCb sub-detectors and the trigger system are described, using data taken from 2010 to 2012. It is shown that the design criteria of the experiment have been met. The excellent performance of the detector has allowed the LHCb collaboration to publish a wide range of physics results, demonstrating LHCb's unique role, both as a heavy flavour experiment and as a general purpose detector in the forward region

Evidence for the decay X(3872) -> psi(2S)gamma

Evidence for the decay mode X(3872) -> psi(2S)gamma in B+ -> X(3872)K+ decays is found with a significance of 4.4 standard deviations. The analysis is based on a data sample of proton proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1), collected with the LHCb detector, at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio of the branching fraction of the X(3872) -> psi(2S)gamma decay to that of the X(3872) -> J/psi gamma decay is measured to be B(X(3872) -> psi(2S)gamma)/B(X(3872) -> J/psi gamma) = 2.46 +/- 0.64 +/- 0.29, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The measured value does not support a pure D (D) over bar* molecular interpretation of the X(3872) state. (C) 2014 CERN for the benefit of the LHCb Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V

Precision luminosity measurements at LHCb

Measuring cross-sections at the LHC requires the luminosity to be determined accurately at each centre-of-mass energy root s. In this paper results are reported from the luminosity calibrations carried out at the LHC interaction point 8 with the LHCb detector for root s = 2.76, 7 and 8TeV (proton-proton collisions) and for root s(NN) = 5TeV (proton-lead collisions). Both the "van der Meer scan" and "beam-gas imaging" luminosity calibration methods were employed. It is observed that the beam density profile cannot always be described by a function that is factorizable in the two transverse coordinates. The introduction of a two-dimensional description of the beams improves significantly the consistency of the results. For proton-proton interactions at root s = 8TeV a relative precision of the luminosity calibration of 1.47% is obtained using van der Meer scans and 1.43% using beam-gas imaging, resulting in a combined precision of 1.12%. Applying the calibration to the full data set determines the luminosity with a precision of 1.16%. This represents the most precise luminosity measurement achieved so far at a bunched-beam hadron collider

A study of CP violation in B-+/- -> DK +/- and B-+/- -> D pi(+/-) decays with D -> (KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+) final states

A first study of CP violation in the decay modes B-+/- -> [(KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+)](D)h(+/-) and B-+/- -> [(KSK +/-)-K-0 pi(-/+)](D)h(+/-), where h labels a K or pi meson and D labels a D-0 or (D) over bar (0) meson, is performed. The analysis uses the LHCb data set collected in pp collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). The analysis is sensitive to the CP-violating CKM phase gamma through seven observables: one charge asymmetry in each of the four modes and three ratios of the charge-integrated yields. The results are consistent with measurements of gamma using other decay modes. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V