Study of η − η′ mixing from measurement of B (s)0 → J/ψη(′) decay rates

A study of B and B0 s meson decays into J/ψη and J/ψη0 final states is performed using a data set of proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, collected by the LCHb experiment and corresponding to 3.0 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The decay B0 → J/ψη0 is observed for the first time. The following ratios of branching fractions are measured: B(B0 → J/ψη0 ) B(B0 s → J/ψη0) = (2.28 ± 0.65 (stat) ± 0.10 (syst) ± 0.13 (fs/fd)) × 10−2 , B(B0 → J/ψη) B(B0 s → J/ψη) = (1.85 ± 0.61 (stat) ± 0.09 (syst) ± 0.11 (fs/fd)) × 10−2 , where the third uncertainty is related to the present knowledge of fs/fd, the ratio between the probabilities for a b quark to form a B0 s or a B0 meson. The branching fraction ratios are used to determine the parameters of η−η 0 meson mixing. In addition, the first evidence for the decay B0 s → ψ(2S)η 0 is reported, and the relative branching fraction is measured, B(B0 s → ψ(2S)η 0 ) B(B0 s → J/ψη0) = (38.7 ± 9.0 (stat) ± 1.3 (syst) ± 0.9(B)) × 10−2 , where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the branching fractions of J/ψ and ψ(2S) mesons

Search for the rare decay Λc+ →pμ+μ-

The flavor-changing neutral-current (FCNC) decay Λþ c → pμþμ− (inclusion of the charge-conjugate processes is implied throughout) is expected to be heavily suppressed in the Standard Model (SM) by the Glashow-IliopoulosMaiani mechanism [1]. The branching fractions for shortdistance c → ulþl− contributions to the transition are expected to be of Oð10−9Þ in the SM but can be enhanced by effects beyond the SM. However, long-distance contributions proceeding via a tree-level amplitude, with an intermediate meson resonance decaying into a dimuon pair [2,3], can increase the branching fraction up to Oð10−6Þ [4]. The short-distance and hadronic contributions can be separated by splitting the data set into relevant regions of dimuon mass. The Λþ c → pμþμ− decay has been previously searched for by the BABAR Collaboration [5], yielding 11.1 5.0 2.5 events and an upper limit on the branching fraction of 4.4 × 10−5 at 90% C.L. Similar FCNC transitions for the b-quark system (b → slþl−) exhibit a pattern of consistent deviations from the current SM predictions both in branching fractions [6] and angular observables [7], with the combined significance reaching 4 to 5 standard deviations [8,9]. Processes involving c → ulþl− transitions are far less explored at both the experimental and theoretical levels, which makes such measurements desirable. Similar analyses of the D system have reported evidence for the longdistance contribution [10]; however, the short-distance contributions have not been established [11]

Observation of the B0 →ρ0ρ0 decay from an amplitude analysis of B0 → (π+π-) (π+π-) decays

Proton-proton collision data recorded in 2011 and 2012 by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 , are analysed to search for the charmless B0 → ρ 0ρ 0 decay. More than 600 B0 → (π +π −)(π +π −) signal decays are selected and used to perform an amplitude analysis, under the assumption of no CP violation in the decay, from which the B0 → ρ 0ρ 0 decay is observed for the first time with 7.1 standard deviations significance. The fraction of B0 → ρ 0ρ 0 decays yielding a longitudinally polarised final state is measured to be fL = 0.745+0.048 −0.058(stat) ± 0.034(syst). The B0 → ρ 0ρ 0 branching fraction, using the B0 → φK∗ (892)0 decay as reference, is also reported as B(B0 → ρ 0ρ 0 ) = (0.94 ± 0.17(stat) ± 0.09(syst) ± 0.06(BF)) × 10−6

Searches for Λ0b and Ξ0b decays to K0Spπ− and K0SpK− final states with first observation of the Λ0b→K0Spπ− decay

A search for previously unobserved decays of beauty baryons to the final states K0 S pπ− and K0 S pK− is reported. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 of pp collisions. The Λ 0 b → K0pπ− decay is observed with a significance of 8.6 σ, with branching fraction B(Λ 0 b → K0 pπ−) = (1.26 ± 0.19 ± 0.09 ± 0.34 ± 0.05) × 10−5 , where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, from the ratio of fragmentation fractions fΛ0 b /fd, and from the branching fraction of the B0→ K0π +π − normalisation channel, respectively. A first measurement is made of the CP asymmetry, giving ACP (Λ 0 b → K0 pπ−) = 0.22 ± 0.13 (stat) ± 0.03 (syst). No significant signals are seen for Λ 0 b → K0 S pK− decays, Ξ0 b decays to both the K0 S pπ− and K0 S pK− final states, and the Λ 0 b → D− s (→ K0 SK−)p decay, and upper limits on their branching fractions are reported

Observation of Z production in proton-lead collisions at LHCb

The first observation of Z boson production in proton-lead collisions at a centreof-mass energy per proton-nucleon pair of √ sNN = 5 TeV is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.6 nb−1 collected with the LHCb detector. The Z candidates are reconstructed from pairs of oppositely charged muons with pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5 and transverse momenta above 20 GeV/c. The invariant dimuon mass is restricted to the range 60 − 120 GeV/c2 . The Z production cross-section is measured to be σZ→µ+µ− (fwd) = 13.5 +5.4 −4.0 (stat.) ± 1.2(syst.) nb in the direction of the proton beam and σZ→µ+µ− (bwd) = 10.7 +8.4 −5.1 (stat.) ± 1.0(syst.) nb in the direction of the lead beam, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic

Quantum numbers of the X (3872 ) state and orbital angular momentum in its ρ0J /ψ decay

Angular correlations in B+ → X(3872)K+ decays, with X(3872) → ρ 0J/ψ, ρ 0 → π +π − and J/ψ → µ +µ −, are used to measure orbital angular momentum contributions and to determine the J P C value of the X(3872) meson. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector. This determination, for the first time performed without assuming a value for the orbital angular momentum, confirms the quantum numbers to be J P C = 1++. The X(3872) is found to decay predominantly through S wave and an upper limit of 4% at 95% C.L. is set on the D-wave contribution

Measurement of CP observables in B ± → DK ± and B ± → Dπ ± with D → KS0K±π∓ decays

Measurements of CP observables in B± → DK± and B± → Dπ± decays are presented, where D represents a superposition of D0 and D¯¯¯¯0 states. The D meson is reconstructed in the three-body final states K0SK±π∓ and K0SK∓π±. The analysis uses samples of B mesons produced in proton-proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0, 2.0, and 6.0 fb−1 collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of s√ = 7, 8, and 13 TeV, respectively. These measurements are the most precise to date, and provide important input for the determination of the CKM angle γ

Observation of a new baryon state in the Λb0π+π− mass spectrum

A new baryon state is observed in the Λ0bπ+π− mass spectrum with high significance using a data sample of pp collisions, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies s√ = 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. The mass and natural width of the new state are measured to be m=6072.3±2.9±0.6±0.2 MeV,Γ=72±11±2 MeV, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The third uncertainty for the mass is due to imprecise knowledge of the Λ0b baryon mass. The new state is consistent with the first radial excitation of the Λ0b baryon, the Λb(2S)0 resonance. Updated measurements of the masses and the upper limits on the natural widths of the previously observed Λb(5912)0 and Λb(5920)0 states are also reported

Measurement of the shape of the Bs0→Ds∗−μ+νμ differential decay rate

The shape of the B0s→D∗−sμ+νμ differential decay rate is obtained as a function of the hadron recoil parameter using proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 fb−1 collected by the LHCb detector. The B0s→D∗−sμ+νμ decay is reconstructed through the decays D∗−s→D−sγ and D−s→K−K+π−. The differential decay rate is fitted with the Caprini-Lellouch-Neubert (CLN) and Boyd-Grinstein-Lebed (BGL) parametrisations of the form factors, and the relevant quantities for both are extracted

Observation of the semileptonic decay B+→ pp¯ μ+νμ

The Cabibbo-suppressed semileptonic decay B+→pp¯¯¯μ+νμ is observed for the first time using a sample of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0, 2.0 and 1.7 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV, respectively. The differential branching fraction is measured as a function of the pp¯¯¯ invariant mass using the decay mode B+ → J/ψK+ for normalisation. The total branching fraction is measured to be B(B+→pp¯¯¯μ+νμ)= (5.27+0.23−0.24±0.21±0.15)×10−6, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is from the uncertainty on the branching fraction of the normalisation channel