Tracking of charged particles with nanosecond lifetimes at LHCb

A method is presented to reconstruct charged particles with lifetimes between 10ps and 10ns, which considers a combination of their decay products and the partial tracks created by the initial charged particle. Using the Ξ- baryon as a benchmark, the method is demonstrated with simulated events and proton-proton collision data at s=13TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0fb-1 collected with the LHCb detector in 2018. Significant improvements in the angular resolution and the signal purity are obtained. The method is implemented as part of the LHCb Run 3 event trigger in a set of requirements to select detached hyperons. This is the first demonstration of the applicability of this approach at the LHC, and the first to show its scaling with instantaneous luminosity

Measurement of the Λ c + to D 0 production ratio in peripheral PbPb collisions at s NN = 5. 02 TeV

We report on a measurement of the Λc+ to D0 production ratio in peripheral PbPb collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV with the LHCb detector in the forward rapidity region 2 < y < 4.5. The Λc+ (D0) hadrons are reconstructed via the decay channel Λc+→ pK−π+ (D0→ K−π+) for 2 < pT< 8 GeV/c and in the centrality range of about 65–90%. The results show no significant dependence on pT, y or the mean number of participating nucleons. They are also consistent with similar measurements obtained by the LHCb collaboration in pPb and Pbp collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV. The data agree well with predictions from PYTHIA in pp collisions at s = 5 TeV but are in tension with predictions of the Statistical Hadronization model

Observation of the B c + → J / ψ π + π 0 decay

The first observation of the Bc+→J/ψπ+π0 decay is reported with high significance using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The ratio of its branching fraction relative to the Bc+→J/ψπ+ channel is measured to beBBc+→J/ψπ+π0BBc+→J/ψπ+=2.80±0.15±0.11±0.16, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third related to imprecise knowledge of the branching fractions for B+ → J/ψK*+ and Bc+→J/ψπ+ decays, which are used to determine the π0 detection efficiency. The π+π0 mass spectrum is found to be consistent with the dominance of an intermediate ρ+ contribution in accordance with a model based on QCD factorisation

Multiplicity dependence of σ ψ (2 S ) /σ J/ψ in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV

The ratio of production cross-sections of ψ(2S) over J/ψ mesons as a function of charged-particle multiplicity in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy s = 13 TeV is measured with a data sample collected by the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 658 pb−1. The ratio is measured for both prompt and non-prompt ψ(2S) and J/ψ mesons. When there is an overlap between the rapidity ranges over which multiplicity and charmonia production are measured, a multiplicity-dependent modification of the ratio is observed for prompt mesons. No significant multiplicity dependence is found when the ranges do not overlap. For non-prompt production, the ψ(2S)-to-J/ψ production ratio is roughly independent of multiplicity, irrespective of the rapidity range over which the multiplicity is measured. The results are compared to predictions of the co-mover model and agree well except in the low multiplicity region. The ratio of production cross-sections of ψ(2S) over J/ψ mesons are cross-checked with other measurements in di-lepton channels and found to be compatible

First observation of the Λ b 0 → D + D − Λ decay

The Λb0 → D+D−Λ decay is observed for the first time using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.3 fb−1. Using the B0 → D+D−KS0 decay as a reference channel, the product of the relative production cross-section and decay branching fractions is measured to beR=σΛb0σB0=BΛb0→D+D−ΛBB0→D+D−KS0=0.179±0.022±0.014, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The known branching fraction of the reference channel, BB0→D+D−KS0, and the cross-section ratio, σΛb0/σB0, previously measured by LHCb are used to derive the branching fraction of the Λb0→ D+D−Λ decayBΛb0→D+D−Λ=1.24±0.15±0.10±0.28±0.11×10−4, where the third and fourth contributions are due to uncertainties of BB0→D+D−KS0 and σΛb0/σB0, respectively. Inspection of the D+Λ and D+D− invariant-mass distributions suggests a rich presence of intermediate resonances in the decay. The Λb0 → D*+D−Λ decay is also observed for the first time as a partially reconstructed component in the D+D−Λ invariant mass spectrum

Measurement of the Z boson production cross-section in pp collisions at s = 5. 02 TeV

The first measurement of the Z boson production cross-section at centre-of-mass energy s = 5.02 TeV in the forward region is reported, using pp collision data collected by the LHCb experiment in year 2017, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 100 ± 2 pb−1. The production cross-section is measured for final-state muons in the pseudorapidity range 2.0 20 GeV/c. The integrated cross-section is determined to beσZ→μ+μ−=39.6±0.7stat±0.6syst±0.8lumipb for the di-muon invariant mass in the range 60 < Mμμ< 120 GeV/c2. This result and the differential cross-section results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant. Based on a previous LHCb measurement of the Z boson production cross-section in pPb collisions at sNN = 5.02 TeV, the nuclear modification factor RpPb is measured for the first time at this energy. The measured values are 1.2−0.3+0.5 (stat) ± 0.1(syst) in the forward region (1.5

Study of B c + → χ c π + decays

A study of Bc+→χcπ+ decays is reported using proton-proton collision data, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. The decay Bc+→χc2π+ is observed for the first time, with a significance exceeding seven standard deviations. The relative branching fraction with respect to the Bc+→J/ψπ+ decay is measured to beBBc+→χc2π+BBc+→J/ψπ+=0.37±0.06±0.02±0.01, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the knowledge of the χc2→ J/ψγ branching fraction. No significant Bc+→χc1π+ signal is observed and an upper limit for the relative branching fraction for the Bc+→χc1π+ and Bc+→χc2π+ decays of BBc+→χc1π+BBc+→χc2π+=<0.49 is set at the 90% confidence level

The LHCb Upgrade I

The LHCb upgrade represents a major change of the experiment. The detectors have been almost completely renewed to allow running at an instantaneous luminosity five times larger than that of the previous running periods. Readout of all detectors into an all-software trigger is central to the new design, facilitating the reconstruction of events at the maximum LHC interaction rate, and their selection in real time. The experiment's tracking system has been completely upgraded with a new pixel vertex detector, a silicon tracker upstream of the dipole magnet and three scintillating fibre tracking stations downstream of the magnet. The whole photon detection system of the RICH detectors has been renewed and the readout electronics of the calorimeter and muon systems have been fully overhauled. The first stage of the all-software trigger is implemented on a GPU farm. The output of the trigger provides a combination of totally reconstructed physics objects, such as tracks and vertices, ready for final analysis, and of entire events which need further offline reprocessing. This scheme required a complete revision of the computing model and rewriting of the experiment's software

Amplitude analysis of the Λ b 0 → pK − γ decay

The resonant structure of the radiative decay Λb0→pK−γ in the region of proton-kaon invariant-mass up to 2.5 GeV/c2 is studied using proton-proton collision data recorded at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV collected with the LHCb detector, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. Results are given in terms of fit and interference fractions between the different components contributing to this final state. Only Λ resonances decaying to pK− are found to be relevant, where the largest contributions stem from the Λ(1520), Λ(1600), Λ(1800), and Λ(1890) states

Prompt and nonprompt ψ (2 S ) production in p Pb collisions at s NN = 8. 16 TeV

The production of ψ(2S) mesons in proton-lead collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sNN = 8.16 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 nb−1. The prompt and nonprompt ψ(2S) production cross-sections and the ratio of the ψ(2S) to J/ψ cross-section are measured as a function of the meson transverse momentum and rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass frame, together with forward-to-backward ratios and nuclear modification factors. The production of prompt ψ(2S) is observed to be more suppressed compared to pp collisions than the prompt J/ψ production, while the nonprompt productions have similar suppression factors