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

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

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

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

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

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

Measurement of CP violation and constraints on the CKM angle gamma in B-+/- -> DK +/- with D -> K-s(0)pi(+)pi(-) decays

A model-dependent amplitude analysis of B-+/- -> DK +/- with D -> K-s(0)pi(+)pi(-) decays is performed using proton proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1 fb(-1), recorded by LHCb at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV in 2011. Values of the CP violation observables x +/- and y +/-, which are sensitive to the CKM angle gamma, are measured to be x- = +0.027 +/- 0.0441(-0.008)(+0.010) +/- 0.001, y- = +0.013 +/- 0.0481(-0.007)(+0.009) +/- 0.003, x+ = -0.084 +/- 0.045 +/- 0.009 +/- 0.005, y+ = -0.032 +/- 0.048(-0.009)(+0.010) +/- 0.008, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third arises from the uncertainty of the D -> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(-) amplitude model. The value of gamma is determined to be (84(-42)(+49))degrees including all sources of uncertainty. Neutral D meson mixing is found to have negligible effect. (C) 2014 The Authors. 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

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 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