Direct aperture optimization as a means of reducing the complexity of intensity modulated radiation therapy plans

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a means of delivering radiation therapy where the intensity of the beam is varied within the treatment field. This is done by dividing a large beam into many small beamlets. Dose constraints are assigned to both the target and sensitive structures and computerised inverse optimization is performed to find the individual weights of this large number of beamlets. The computer adjusts the intensities of these beamlets according to the required planning dose objectives. The optimized intensity patterns are then decomposed into a series of deliverable multi leaf collimator (MLC) shapes in the sequencing step

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

Precise determination of the B-s(0)-B-s(-0) oscillation frequency

Mesons comprising a beauty quark and a strange quark can oscillate between particle (B0s) and antiparticle (B0s) flavour eigenstates, with a frequency given by the mass difference between heavy and light mass eigenstates, deltams. Here we present ameasurement of deltams using B0s2DsPi decays produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The oscillation frequency is found to be deltams = 17.7683 +- 0.0051 +- 0.0032 ps-1, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This measurement improves upon the current deltams precision by a factor of two. We combine this result with previous LHCb measurements to determine deltams = 17.7656 +- 0.0057 ps-1, which is the legacy measurement of the original LHCb detector.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2021-005.html (LHCb public pages

Search for the doubly heavy baryons Omega(0)(bc) and Xi(0)(bc) decaying to Lambda(+)(c)pi(-) and Xi(+)(c)pi-

Abstract available from publisher's website

Search for rare decays of D0 mesons into two muons

A search for the very rare D 0 → μ + μ − decay is performed using data collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at √ s = 7 , 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9     fb − 1 . The search is optimized for D 0 mesons from D * + → D 0 π + decays but is also sensitive to D 0 mesons from other sources. No evidence for an excess of events over the expected background is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of this decay is set at B ( D 0 → μ + μ − ) < 3.1 × 10 − 9 at a 90% C.L. This represents the world’s most stringent limit, constraining models of physics beyond the standard model

Searches for rare B-s(0) and B-0 decays into four muons

Searches for rare $B_s^0$ and $B^0$ decays into four muons are performed using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 $\text{fb}^{-1}$. Direct decays and decays via light scalar and $J/\psi$ resonances are considered. No evidence for the six decays searched for is found and upper limits at the 95% confidence level on their branching fractions ranging between $1.8\times10^{-10}$ and $2.6\times10^{-9}$ are set

First measurement of the Z→μ+μ− angular coefficients in the forward region of pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

The first study of the angular distribution of μ + μ − pairs produced in the forward rapidity region via the Drell-Yan reaction p p → γ ∗ / Z + X → ℓ + ℓ − + X is presented, using data collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1     fb − 1 . The coefficients of the five leading terms in the angular distribution are determined as a function of the dimuon transverse momentum and rapidity. The results are compared to various theoretical predictions of the Z -boson production mechanism and can also be used to probe transverse-momentum-dependent parton distributions within the proton