Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Measurement of the inelastic pp cross-section at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV

The cross-section for inelastic proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV is measured with the LHCb detector. The fiducial cross-section for inelastic interactions producing at least one prompt long-lived charged particle with momentum p > 2 GeV/c in the pseudorapidity range 2 < η < 5 is determined to be ϭ acc = 62:2 ± 0:2 ± 2:5mb. The first uncertainty is the intrinsic systematic uncertainty of the measurement, the second is due to the uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The statistical uncertainty is negligible. Extrapolation to full phase space yields the total inelastic proton-proton cross-section ϭ inel = 75:4 ± 3:0 ± 4:5mb, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second due to the extrapolation. An updated value of the inelastic cross-section at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV is also reported

Penumbral imaging and functional outcome in patients with anterior circulation ischaemic stroke treated with endovascular thrombectomy versus medical therapy: a meta-analysis of individual patient-level data

Background: CT perfusion (CTP) and diffusion or perfusion MRI might assist patient selection for endovascular thrombectomy. We aimed to establish whether imaging assessments of irreversibly injured ischaemic core and potentially salvageable penumbra volumes were associated with functional outcome and whether they interacted with the treatment effect of endovascular thrombectomy on functional outcome. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the HERMES collaboration pooled patient-level data from all randomised controlled trials that compared endovascular thrombectomy (predominantly using stent retrievers) with standard medical therapy in patients with anterior circulation ischaemic stroke, published in PubMed from Jan 1, 2010, to May 31, 2017. The primary endpoint was functional outcome, assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days after stroke. Ischaemic core was estimated, before treatment with either endovascular thrombectomy or standard medical therapy, by CTP as relative cerebral blood flow less than 30% of normal brain blood flow or by MRI as an apparent diffusion coefficient less than 620 μm2/s. Critically hypoperfused tissue was estimated as the volume of tissue with a CTP time to maximum longer than 6 s. Mismatch volume (ie, the estimated penumbral volume) was calculated as critically hypoperfused tissue volume minus ischaemic core volume. The association of ischaemic core and penumbral volumes with 90-day mRS score was analysed with multivariable logistic regression (functional independence, defined as mRS score 0–2) and ordinal logistic regression (functional improvement by at least one mRS category) in all patients and in a subset of those with more than 50% endovascular reperfusion, adjusted for baseline prognostic variables. The meta-analysis was prospectively designed by the HERMES executive committee, but not registered. Findings: We identified seven studies with 1764 patients, all of which were included in the meta-analysis. CTP was available and assessable for 591 (34%) patients and diffusion MRI for 309 (18%) patients. Functional independence was worse in patients who had CTP versus those who had diffusion MRI, after adjustment for ischaemic core volume (odds ratio [OR] 0·47 [95% CI 0·30–0·72], p=0·0007), so the imaging modalities were not pooled. Increasing ischaemic core volume was associated with reduced likelihood of functional independence (CTP OR 0·77 [0·69–0·86] per 10 mL, pinteraction=0·29; diffusion MRI OR 0·87 [0·81–0·94] per 10 mL, pinteraction=0·94). Mismatch volume, examined only in the CTP group because of the small numbers of patients who had perfusion MRI, was not associated with either functional independence or functional improvement. In patients with CTP with more than 50% endovascular reperfusion (n=186), age, ischaemic core volume, and imaging-to-reperfusion time were independently associated with functional improvement. Risk of bias between studies was generally low. Interpretation: Estimated ischaemic core volume was independently associated with functional independence and functional improvement but did not modify the treatment benefit of endovascular thrombectomy over standard medical therapy for improved functional outcome. Combining ischaemic core volume with age and expected imaging-to-reperfusion time will improve assessment of prognosis and might inform endovascular thrombectomy treatment decisions. Funding: Medtronic

Measurement of Branching Fractions of B0 Decays to K1(1270)+ pi- and K1(1400)+ pi-

We present a measurement of the branching fraction of neutral B meson decaying to final states containing a K1 meson, i.e. K{sub 1}(1270) and K{sub 1}(1400), and a charged pion. The data, collected with the BABAR detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, represent 454 million B{bar B} pairs produced in e{sup +}e{sup -} annihilation. We measure the branching fraction {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} K{sub 1}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) = (31.0 {+-} 2.7 {+-} 6.9) x 10{sup -6}, where the first error quoted is statistical and the second is systematic. In the framework of the K-matrix formalism used to describe these decays, we also set limits on the ratio of the production constants for the K{sub 1}(1270){sup +} and K{sub 1}(1400){sup +} mesons in B{sup 0} decays

Amplitude Analysis of the Decay B0->K+pi-pi0

We report an updated amplitude analysis of the charmless hadronic decays of neutral B mesons to K{sup +} {pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup 0}. With a sample of 454 million {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC, we measure the magnitudes and phases of the intermediate resonant and nonresonant amplitudes for B{sup 0} and B{sup 0} decays and determine the corresponding CP-averaged fit fractions and charge asymmetries

Improved Measurement of CP Observables in B- to D0_CP K- Decays

We present a study of the decay B{sup -} {yields} D{sub (CP)}{sup 0}K{sup -} and its charge conjugate, where D{sub (CP)}{sup 0} is reconstructed in both a non-CP flavor eigenstate and in CP (CP-even and CP-odd) eigenstates, based on a sample of 382 million {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} storage ring. We measure the direct CP asymmetries A{sub CP{+-}} and the ratios of the branching fractions R{sub CP{+-}}: A{sub CP+} = 0.27 {+-} 0.09(stat) {+-} 0.04(syst), A{sub CP-} = -0.09 {+-} 0.09(stat) {+-} 0.02(syst), R{sub CP+} = 1.06 {+-} 0.10(stat) {+-} 0.05(syst), R{sub CP-} = 1.03 {+-} 0.10(stat) {+-} 0.05(syst). These results will help to better constrain the gamma phase parameter of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix

Measurement of Semileptonic B Decays Into Orbitally-Excited Charm Mesons

The authors present a study of B decays into semileptonic final states containing charged and neutral D{sub 1}(2420) and D*{sub 2}(2460). The analysis is based on a data sample of 208 fb{sup -1} collected at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. With a simultaneous fit to four different decay chains, the semileptonic branching fractions are extracted from measurements of the mass difference {Delta}m = m(D**)-m(D) distributions. Product branching fractions are determined to be {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} D{sub 1}{sup 0}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) x {Beta}(D{sub 1}{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) = (2.97 {+-} 0.17 {+-} 0.17) x 10{sup -3}, {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} D*{sub 2}{sup 0}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) x {Beta}(D*{sub 2}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup (*)+} {pi}{sup -}) = (2.29 {+-} 0.23 {+-} 0.21) x 10{sup -3}, {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} D{sub 1}{sup -}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) x {Beta}(D{sub 1}{sup -} {yields} D*{sup 0}{pi}{sup -}) = (2.78 {+-} 0.24 {+-} 0.25) x 10{sup -3} and {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} D*{sub 2}{sup -}{ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}) x {Beta}(D*{sub 2}{sup -} {yields} D{sup (*)0} {pi}{sup -}) = (1.77 {+-} 0.26 {+-} 0.11) x 10{sup -3}. In addition they measure the branching ratio {Lambda}(D*{sub 2} {yields} D{pi}{sup 0})/{Lambda}(D*{sub 2} {yields} D{sup (*)}{pi}{sup -}) = 0.62 {+-} 0.03 {+-} 0.02

Performance of a large scale prototype of the ATLAS accordion electromagnetic calorimeter

A 2 m long prototype of a lead-liquid argon electromagnetic calorimeter with accordion-shaped electrodes, conceived as a sector of the barrel calorimeter of the future ATLAS experiment at the LHC, has been tested with electron and pion beams in the energy range 10 to 287 GeV. A sampling term of 10%/root E(GeV) was obtained for electrons in the rapidity range 0 < eta < 1, while the constant term measured over an area of about 1 m(2) is 0.69%. With a cell size of 2.7 cm the position resolution is. about 4 mm/root E(GeV)

Test beam results of a stereo preshower integrated in the liquid argon accordion calorimeter

This paper describes the construction of an integrated preshower within the RD3 liquid argon accordion calorimeter. It has a stereo view which enables the measurement of two transverse coordinates. The prototype was tested at CERN with electrons, photons and muons to validate its capability to work at LHC ( Energy resolution, impact point resolution, angular resolution, $\pi^o$/$\gamma$ rejection )