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

Search for B c + → π + μ + μ - decays and measurement of the branching fraction ratio B ( B c + → ψ ( 2 S ) π + ) / B ( B c + → J / ψ π + )

The first search for nonresonant Bc+→π+μ+μ- decays is reported. The analysis uses proton–proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9fb-1. No evidence for an excess of signal events over background is observed and an upper limit is set on the branching fraction ratio B(Bc+→π+μ+μ-)/B(Bc+→J/ψπ+)<2.1×10-4 at 90% confidence level. Additionally, an updated measurement of the ratio of the Bc+→ψ(2S)π+ and Bc+→J/ψπ+ branching fractions is reported. The ratio B(Bc+→ψ(2S)π+)/B(Bc+→J/ψπ+) is measured to be 0.254±0.018±0.003±0.005, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainties on the branching fractions of the leptonic J/ψ and ψ(2S) decays. This measurement is the most precise to date and is consistent with previous LHCb results

Search for the B s 0 → μ + μ − γ decay

A search for the fully reconstructed Bs0→ μ+μ−γ decay is performed at the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb−1. No significant signal is found and upper limits on the branching fraction in intervals of the dimuon mass are setBBs0→μ+μ−γ<4.2×10−8, mμ+μ−∈2mμ1.70GeV/c2, BBs0→μ+μ−γ<7.7×10−8, mμ+μ−∈1.70, 2.88GeV/c2, BBs0→μ+μ−γ<4.2×10−8, mμ+μ−∈3.92mBs0GeV/c2, at 95% confidence level. Additionally, upper limits are set on the branching fraction in the [2mμ, 1.70] GeV/c2 dimuon mass region excluding the contribution from the intermediate ϕ(1020) meson, and in the region combining all dimuon-mass intervals

A model-independent measurement of the CKM angle γ in partially reconstructed B ± → D * h ± decays with D → K S 0 h + h − ( h = π, K )

A measurement of CP-violating observables in B± → D*K± and B± → D*π± decays is made where the photon or neutral pion from the D*→ Dγ or D*→ Dπ0 decay is not reconstructed. The D meson is reconstructed in the self-conjugate decay modes, D → KS0π+π− or D → KS0K+K−. The distribution of signal yields in the D decay phase space is analysed in a model-independent way. The measurement uses a data sample collected in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of approximately 9 fb−1. The B± → D*K± and B± → D*π±CP-violating observables are interpreted in terms of hadronic parameters and the CKM angle γ, resulting in a measurement of γ = (92−17+21)°. The total uncertainty includes the statistical and systematic uncertainties, and the uncertainty due to external strong-phase inputs

Studies of η\eta and η′\eta' production in pppp and ppPb collisions

The production of $\eta$ and $\eta'$ mesons is studied in proton-proton and proton-lead collisions collected with the LHCb detector. Proton-proton collisions are studied at center-of-mass energies of $5.02$ and $13~{\rm TeV}$, and proton-lead collisions are studied at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon of $8.16~{\rm TeV}$. The studies are performed in center-of-mass rapidity regions $2.5<y_{\rm c.m.}<3.5$ (forward rapidity) and $-4.0<y_{\rm c.m.}<-3.0$ (backward rapidity) defined relative to the proton beam direction. The $\eta$ and $\eta'$ production cross sections are measured differentially as a function of transverse momentum for $1.5<p_{\rm T}<10~{\rm GeV}$ and $3<p_{\rm T}<10~{\rm GeV}$, respectively. The differential cross sections are used to calculate nuclear modification factors. The nuclear modification factors for $\eta$ and $\eta'$ mesons agree at both forward and backward rapidity, showing no significant evidence of mass dependence. The differential cross sections of $\eta$ mesons are also used to calculate $\eta/\pi^0$ cross section ratios, which show evidence of a deviation from the world average. These studies offer new constraints on mass-dependent nuclear effects in heavy-ion collisions, as well as $\eta$ and $\eta'$ meson fragmentation.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-030.html (LHCb public pages

Fraction of χc\chi_c decays in prompt J/ψJ/\psi production measured in pPb collisions at sNN=8.16\sqrt{s_{NN}}=8.16 TeV

The fraction of $\chi_{c1}$ and $\chi_{c2}$ decays in the prompt $J/\psi$ yield, $F_{\chi c}=\sigma_{\chi_c \to J/\psi}/\sigma_{J/\psi}$, is measured by the LHCb detector in pPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=8.16$ TeV. The study covers the forward ($1.5<y^*<4.0$) and backward ($-5.0<y^*<-2.5$) rapidity regions, where $y^*$ is the $J/\psi$ rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass system. Forward and backward rapidity samples correspond to integrated luminosities of 13.6 $\pm$ 0.3 nb$^{-1}$ and 20.8 $\pm$ 0.5 nb$^{-1}$, respectively. The result is presented as a function of the $J/\psi$ transverse momentum $p_{T,J/\psi}$ in the range 1$<p_{T, J/\psi}<20$ GeV/$c$. The $F_{\chi c}$ fraction at forward rapidity is compatible with the LHCb measurement performed in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, whereas the result at backward rapidity is 2.4 $\sigma$ larger than in the forward region for $1<p_{T, J/\psi}<3$ GeV/$c$. The increase of $F_{\chi c}$ at low $p_{T, J/\psi}$ at backward rapidity is compatible with the suppression of the $\psi$(2S) contribution to the prompt $J/\psi$ yield. The lack of in-medium dissociation of $\chi_c$ states observed in this study sets an upper limit of 180 MeV on the free energy available in these pPb collisions to dissociate or inhibit charmonium state formation.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-028.html (LHCb public pages

Observation of Cabibbo-suppressed two-body hadronic decays and precision mass measurement of the Ωc0\Omega_{c}^{0} baryon

The first observation of the singly Cabibbo-suppressed $\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Omega^{-}K^{+}$ and $\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Xi^{-}\pi^{+}$ decays is reported, using proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of $13\,{\rm TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\,{\rm fb}^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb detector between 2016 and 2018. The branching fraction ratios are measured to be $\frac{\mathcal{B}(\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Omega^{-}K^{+})}{\mathcal{B}(\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Omega^{-}\pi^{+})}=0.0608\pm0.0051({\rm stat})\pm 0.0040({\rm syst})$, $\frac{\mathcal{B}(\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Xi^{-}\pi^{+})}{\mathcal{B}(\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Omega^{-}\pi^{+})}=0.1581\pm0.0087({\rm stat})\pm0.0043({\rm syst})\pm0.0016({\rm ext})$. In addition, using the $\Omega_{c}^{0}\to\Omega^{-}\pi^{+}$ decay channel, the $\Omega_{c}^{0}$ baryon mass is measured to be $M(\Omega_{c}^{0})=2695.28\pm0.07({\rm stat})\pm0.27({\rm syst})\pm0.30({\rm ext})\,{\rm MeV}/c^{2}$, improving the precision of the previous world average by a factor of four.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-011.html (LHCb public pages

Enhanced production of Λb0\Lambda_{b}^{0} baryons in high-multiplicity pppp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

The production rate of $\Lambda_{b}^{0}$ baryons relative to $B^{0}$ mesons in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV is measured by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of $\Lambda_{b}^{0}$ to $B^{0}$ production cross-sections shows a significant dependence on both the transverse momentum and the measured charged-particle multiplicity. At low multiplicity, the ratio measured at LHCb is consistent with the value measured in $e^{+}e^{-}$ collisions, and increases by a factor of $\sim2$ with increasing multiplicity. At relatively low transverse momentum, the ratio of $\Lambda_{b}^{0}$ to $B^{0}$ cross-sections is higher than what is measured in $e^{+}e^{-}$ collisions, but converges with the $e^{+}e^{-}$ ratio as the momentum increases. These results imply that the evolution of heavy $b$ quarks into final-state hadrons is influenced by the density of the hadronic environment produced in the collision. Comparisons with a statistical hadronization model and implications for the mechanisms enforcing quark confinement are discussed.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-027.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of ZZ boson production cross-section in pppp collisions at s=5.02\sqrt{s} = 5.02 TeV

The first measurement of the $Z$ boson production cross-section at centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 5.02\,$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 $100 \pm 2\,\rm{pb^{-1}}$. The production cross-section is measured for final-state muons in the pseudorapidity range $2.0 20\,\rm{GeV/}\it{c}$. The integrated cross-section is determined to be $$\sigma_{Z \rightarrow \mu^{+}\mu^{-}} = 39.6 \pm 0.7\,(\rm{stat}) \pm 0.6\,(\rm{syst}) \pm 0.8\,(\rm{lumi}) \ \rm{pb}$$ for the di-muon invariant mass in the range $60<M_{\mu\mu}<120\,\rm{GeV/}\it{c^{2}}$. 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. Based on a previous LHCb measurement of the $Z$ boson production cross-section in $p$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02$ TeV, the nuclear modification factor $R_{p\rm{Pb}}$ is measured for the first time at this energy. The measured values are $1.2^{+0.5}_{-0.3}\,(\rm{stat}) \pm 0.1\,(\rm{syst})$ in the forward region ($1.53<y^*_{\mu}<4.03$) and $3.6^{+1.6}_{-0.9}\,(\rm{stat}) \pm 0.2\,(\rm{syst})$ in the backward region ($-4.97<y^*_{\mu}<-2.47$), where $y^*_{\mu}$ represents the muon rapidity in the centre-of-mass frame.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-010.html (LHCb public pages