First observation of the decay B0s→ϕK∗0

The first observation of the decay B0s→ϕK∗0 is reported. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 of pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, collected with the LHCb detector. A yield of 30 ± 6 B0s→(K+K−)(K−π+) decays is found in the mass windows 1012.5 < M (K + K −) < 1026.5 MeV/c 2 and 746 < M(K − π +) < 1046 MeV/c 2. The signal yield is found to be dominated by B0s→ϕK∗0 decays, and the corresponding branching fraction is measured to be B(B0s→ϕK∗0) = (1.10 ± 0.24 (stat) ± 0.14 (syst) ± 0.08 (f d /f s )) × 10−6, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic and from the ratio of fragmentation fractions f d /f s which accounts for the different production rate of B 0 and B0s mesons. The significance of B0s→ϕK∗0 signal is 6.1 standard deviations. The fraction of longitudinal polarization in B0s→ϕK∗0 decays is found to be f 0 = 0.51 ± 0.15 (stat) ± 0.07 (syst)

Observation of the suppressed ADS modes B± → [π±K-/+ π+π-]D K± and B± → [π± K-/+π+π-]Dπ±

An analysis of and B± → DK± and B± → Dπ± decays is presented where the D meson is reconstructed in the four-body final state K± π-/+π+π-. Using LHCb data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1, first observations are made of the suppressed ADS modes B± →[π± K-/+π+π-]DK± and B± → [π± K-/+π+π-]Dπ± with a significance of 5.1 sigma and greater than 10 sigma, respectively. Measurements of CP asymmetries and CP-conserving ratios of partial widths from this family of decays are also performed. The magnitude of the ratio between the suppressed and favoured B± → DK ± amplitudes is determined to be rKB = 0.097 ± 0.011

Measurement of CP asymmetry in D 0 → K - K + and D 0 → π - π decays

Time-integrated CP asymmetries in D 0 decays to the final states K - K + and π - π + are measured using proton-proton collisions corresponding to 3fb-1 of integrated luminosity collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7 TeV and 8 TeV. The D 0 mesons are produced in semileptonic b-hadron decays, where the charge of the accompanying muon is used to determine the initial flavour of the charm meson. The difference in CP asymmetries between the two final states is measured to be Δ ACP = ACP (K- K +) ACP (π- π+) = (+ 0.14 ± 0.16 (stat) ± 0.08 (syst)) %. A measurement of A CP (K - K +) is obtained assuming negligible CP violation in charm mixing and in Cabibbo-favoured D decays. It is found to be ACP (K- K+) = (- 0.06 ± 0.15 (stat) ± 0.10 (syst)) %, where the correlation coefficient between ΔA CP and A CP (K - K +) is ρ = 0.28. By combining these results, the CP asymmetry in the D 0 → π - π + channel is A CP (π - π +) = (-0.20 ± 0.19 (stat) ± 0.10 (syst))%

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 Ξ−b and Ω−b baryons are reconstructed in the Ξ−b → J/ψΞ− and Ω−b → J/ψΩ− decay modes and their lifetimes measured to be τ(Ξ−b) = 1.55+0.10−0.09 (stat) ± 0.03 (syst) ps, τ(Ω−b) = 1.54+0.26−0.21 (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

Measurement of the resonant and CP components in B¯ 0 → J=ψπþπ− decays

The resonant structure of the reaction B¯0→J/ψπ+π− is studied using data from 3  fb−1 of integrated luminosity collected by the LHCb experiment, one third at 7 TeV center-of-mass energy and the remainder at 8 TeV. The invariant mass of the π+π− pair and three decay angular distributions are used to determine the fractions of the resonant and nonresonant components. Six interfering π+π− states, ρ(770), f0(500), f2(1270), ρ(1450), ω(782) and ρ(1700), are required to give a good description of invariant mass spectra and decay angular distributions. The positive and negative charge parity fractions of each of the resonant final states are determined. The f0(980) meson is not seen and the upper limit on its presence, compared with the observed f0(500) rate, is inconsistent with a model where these scalar mesons are formed from two quarks and two antiquarks (tetraquarks) at the eight standard deviation level. In the qq¯ model, the absolute value of the mixing angle between the f0(980) and the f0(500) scalar mesons is limited to be less than 17° at 90% confidence level

Study of beauty hadron decays into pairs of charm hadrons

First observations of the decays Λb 0 → Λc +D(s) - are reported using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1 collected at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector. In addition, the most precise measurement of the branching fraction B(Bs 0→D+Ds -) is made and a search is performed for the decays B(s) 0→Λc +Λc -. The results obtained are B(Λb 0→Λc +D-)/ B(Λb 0→Λc +D s -)=0.042±0.003(stat)±0.003(syst), [B(Λb 0→Λc +D s -)/B(B̄0→D+D s -)]/[B(Λb 0→Λ c +π-)/B(B̄0→D +π-)]=0.96±0.02(stat)±0.06(syst),B(B s 0→D+Ds -)/ B(B̄0→D+Ds -)=0. 038±0.004(stat)±0.003(syst),B(B̄0→Λ c +Λc -)/B(B̄ 0→D+Ds -)<0.0022[95%C.L.], B(Bs 0→Λc +Λ c -)/B(Bs 0→D+D s -)<0.30[95%C.L.]. Measurement of the mass of the Λb 0 baryon relative to the B̄0 meson gives M(Λb 0)-M(B̄0)=339. 72±0.24(stat)±0.18(syst)MeV/c2. This result provides the most precise measurement of the mass of the Λb 0 baryon to date

Measurement of ψ(2S) polarisation in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

The polarisation of prompt ψ(2S) mesons is measured by performing an angular analysis of ψ(2S) → μ+μ- decays using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1, collected by the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The polarisation is measured in bins of transverse momentum pT and rapidity y in the kinematic region 3.5 < pT < 15 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5, and is compared to theoretical models. No significant polarisation is observed

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 ϕs in View the MathML source and View the MathML source decays is measured using the J/ψπ+π− 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 ϕs=70±68±8 mrad. This result is consistent with the Standard Model expectation and previous measurements

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 View the MathML source, B0→K+π− and View the MathML source 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. This is the most precise determination to date of the effective lifetime in the View the MathML source decay and provides constraints on contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model to the View the MathML source mixing phase and the width difference ΔΓs

Observation of the decay B+c→Bºsπ+

The result of a search for the decay B+c→Bºsπ+ is presented, using the Bºs→Ds-π+ and Bºs→J/ψϕ channels. The analysis is based on a data sample of pp collisions collected with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1  fb-1 taken at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, and 2  fb-1 taken at 8 TeV. The decay B+c→Bºsπ+ is observed with significance in excess of 5 standard deviations independently in both decay channels. The measured product of the ratio of cross sections and branching fraction is [σ(Bc+)/σ(Bºs)]×B(Bc+→Bºsπ+)=[2.37±0.31 (stat)±0.11 (syst)-0.13+0.17(τBc+)]×10-3, in the pseudorapidity range 2<η(B)<5, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainty on the Bc+ lifetime. This is the first observation of a B meson decaying to another B meson via the weak interaction