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

Two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76 TeV

The first measurement of two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. We observe a growing trend with energy now not only for the longitudinal and the outward but also for the sideward pion source radius. The pion homogeneity volume and the decoupling time are significantly larger than those measured at RHIC.Comment: 17 pages, 5 captioned figures, 1 table, authors from page 12, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/388

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

Effective lifetime measurements in the B-s(0) -> K+K-, B-0 -> K+pi(-) and B-s(0) -> pi K-+(-) decays

Measurements of the effective lifetimes in the B-s(0) -> K+K-, B-0 -> K+pi(-) and B-s(0) -> pi K-+(-) decays are presented using 1.0 fb(-1)of pp collision data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV by the LHCb experiment. The analysis uses a data-driven approach to correct for the decay time acceptance. The measured effective lifetimes are tau(Bs0 -> K+K-) = 1.407 +/- 0.016 (stat) +/- 0.007 (syst) ps, tau(Bs0 -> K+pi-) = 1.524 +/- 0.011 (stat) +/- 0.004 (syst) ps, tau(Bs0 ->pi+K-) = 1.60 +/- 0.06 (stat) +/- 0.01 (syst) ps. This is the most precise determination to date of the effective lifetime in the B-s(0) -> K+K- decay and provides constraints on contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model to the B-s(0) mixing phase and the width difference Delta Gamma(s). (C) 2014 The Authors. 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

Measurement of the Xi(-)(b) and Omega(-)(b) baryon lifetimes

Using a data sample of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1), the Xi(-)(b) and Omega(-)(b) baryons are reconstructed in the Xi(-)(b) -> J/psi Xi(-) and Omega(-)(b) -> J/psi Omega(-) decay modes and their lifetimes measured to be tau(Xi(-)(b)) = 1.55(-0.09)(+0.10) (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) ps, tau(Omega(-)(b)) = 1.54(-0.21)(+0.26) (stat) +/- 0.05 (syst) ps. These are the most precise determinations to date. Both measurements are in good agreement with previous experimental results and with theoretical predictions. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Measurement of the CP-violating phase phi(s) in (B)over-bar(s)(0) -> J / psi pi(+)pi(-) decays

The mixing-induced CP-violating phase phi(s) in B-s(0) and (B) over bar (0)(s) decays is measured using the J / psi pi(+)pi(-) final state in data, taken from 3 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity, collected with the LHCb detector in 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass pp collisions at the LHC. A time-dependent flavour-tagged amplitude analysis, allowing for direct CP violation, yields a value for the phase phi(s) = 70 +/- 68 +/- 8 mrad. This result is consistent with the Standard Model expectation and previous measurements. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

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

Measurement of the track reconstruction efficiency at LHCb

The determination of track reconstruction efficiencies at LHCb using J/psi -> mu(+)mu(-) decays is presented. Efficiencies above 95% are found for the data taking periods in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The ratio of the track reconstruction efficiency of muons in data and simulation is compatible with unity and measured with an uncertainty of 0.8% for data taking in 2010, and at a precision of 0.4% for data taking in 2011 and 2012. For hadrons an additional 1.4% uncertainty due to material interactions is assumed. This result is crucial for accurate cross section and branching fraction measurements in LHCb

Measurement of the (B)over-bar(0)-B-0 and (B)over-bars(0)-B-s(0) production asymmetries in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

The (B) over bar (0)-B-0 and (B) over bar (0)(s)-B-s(0) production asymmetries, A(P)(B-0) and A(P)(B-s(0)), are measured by means of a time-dependent analysis of B-0 -> J/Psi K-*0, B-0 -> D-pi(+) and B-s(0) -> D-s(-)pi(+) decays, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1), collected by LHCb in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The measurements are performed as a function of transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the B-0 and B-s(0) mesons within the LHCb acceptance. The production asymmetries, integrated over p(T) and eta in the range 4 < p(T) < 30 GeV/c and 2.5 < eta < 4.5, are determined to be A(P)(B-0) = (-0.35 +/- 0.76 +/- 0.28)% and A(P)(B-s(0)) = (1.09 +/- 2.61 +/- 0.66)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V