Observation of Two New Excited Ξb0 States Decaying to Λb0 K-π+

Two narrow resonant states are observed in the Λb0K-π+ mass spectrum using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb-1. The minimal quark content of the Λb0K-π+ system indicates that these are excited Ξb0 baryons. The masses of the Ξb(6327)0 and Ξb(6333)0 states are m[Ξb(6327)0]=6327.28-0.21+0.23±0.12±0.24 and m[Ξb(6333)0]=6332.69-0.18+0.17±0.03±0.22 MeV, respectively, with a mass splitting of Δm=5.41-0.27+0.26±0.12 MeV, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the Λb0 mass measurement. The measured natural widths of these states are consistent with zero, with upper limits of Γ[Ξb(6327)0]<2.20(2.56) and Γ[Ξb(6333)0]<1.60(1.92) MeV at a 90% (95%) credibility level. The significance of the two-peak hypothesis is larger than nine (five) Gaussian standard deviations compared to the no-peak (one-peak) hypothesis. The masses, widths, and resonant structure of the new states are in good agreement with the expectations for a doublet of 1D Ξb0 resonances

Search for dark photons produced in 13 TeV pppp collisions

Searches are performed for both promptlike and long-lived dark photons, A 0 , produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, using A 0 → μ þ μ − decays and a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1 . 6 fb − 1 collected with the LHCb detector. The promptlike A 0 search covers the mass range from near the dimuon threshold up to 70 GeV, while the long-lived A 0 search is restricted to the low-mass region 214 <m ð A 0 Þ < 350 MeV. No evidence for a signal is found, and 90% confidence level exclusion limits are placed on the γ – A 0 kinetic-mixing strength. The constraints placed on promptlike dark photons are the most stringent to date for the mass range 10 . 6 <m ð A 0 Þ < 70 GeV, and are comparable to the best existing limits for m ð A 0 Þ < 0 . 5 GeV. The search for long-lived dark photons is the first to achieve sensitivity using a displaced-vertex signature

Studies of the resonance structure in D0→K∓π±π±π∓ decays

Amplitude models are constructed to describe the resonance structure of D0→K−π+π+π− and D0→K+π−π−π+ decays using pp collision data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 . The largest contributions to both decay amplitudes are found to come from axial resonances, with decay modes D0→a1(1260)+K− and D0→K1(1270/1400)+π− being prominent in D0→K−π+π+π− and D0→K+π−π−π+ , respectively. Precise measurements of the lineshape parameters and couplings of the a1(1260)+ , K1(1270)− and K(1460)− resonances are made, and a quasi model-independent study of the K(1460)− resonance is performed. The coherence factor of the decays is calculated from the amplitude models to be RK3π=0.459±0.010(stat)±0.012(syst)±0.020(model) , which is consistent with direct measurements. These models will be useful in future measurements of the unitary-triangle angle γ and studies of charm mixing and CP violation

Highlights from the LHCb experiment

We report recent results by the LHCb collaboration in heavy-ion collisions in collider and fixed-target mode at the LHC. A large variety of measurements show the potential of LHCb in nuclear collisions

Amplitude analysis of the B0 (s)! K0K0 decays and measurement of the branching fraction of the B0! K0K0 decay

The B→ K∗ 0K¯ ∗ 0 and Bs0→K∗0K¯∗0 decays are studied using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1. An untagged and timeintegrated amplitude analysis of B(s)0 → (K+π−)(K−π+) decays in two-body invariant mass regions of 150 MeV/c2 around the K∗0 mass is performed. A stronger longitudinal polarisation fraction in the B→ K∗ 0K¯ ∗ 0 decay, fL = 0.724 ± 0.051 (stat) ± 0.016 (syst), is observed as compared to fL = 0.240 ± 0.031 (stat) ± 0.025 (syst) in the Bs0→K∗0K¯∗0 decay. The ratio of branching fractions of the two decays is measured and used to determine ℬ(B0→K∗0K¯∗0)=(8.0±0.9(stat)±0.4(syst))×10−7.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Amplitude analysis of B-s(0) -> K-S(0) K-+/-pi(-/+) decays

The first untagged decay-time-integrated amplitude analysis of Bs0 → KS0K±π∓ decays is performed using a sample corresponding to 3.0 fb−1 of pp collision data recorded with the LHCb detector during 2011 and 2012. The data are described with an amplitude model that contains contributions from the intermediate resonances K*(892)0,+, K2*(1430)0,+ and K0*(1430)0,+, and their charge conjugates. Measurements of the branching fractions of the decay modes Bs0 → K*(892)±K∓ and Bs0→K*(—)(892)0K0(—) are in agreement with, and more precise than, previous results. The decays Bs0 → K0*(1430)±K∓ and Bs0→K0*(—)(1430)0K0(—) are observed for the first time, each with significance over 10 standard deviations

Direct photon production at LHCb

At small Bjorken-x, the large gluon number density in the nucleon leads to gluon recombination competing with gluon splitting, which could result in saturation of the gluon PDF. This gluon saturation has yet to be conclusively observed. Direct photon production provides sensitivity to gluon densities in protons and nuclei, and the forward acceptance of LHCb detector allows for measurements of this process at low Bjorken-x, providing an ideal probe of saturation effects. Progress towards the measurement of forward direct photon production using the LHCb detector is presented