Measurement of the tau lepton lifetime

The mean lifetime of the tau lepton is measured in a sample of 25700 tau pairs collected in 1992 with the ALEPH detector at LEP. A new analysis of the 1-1 topology events is introduced. In this analysis, the dependence of the impact parameter sum distribution on the daughter track momenta is taken into account, yielding improved precision compared to other impact parameter sum methods. Three other analyses of the one- and three-prong tau decays are updated with increased statistics. The measured lifetime is 293.5+/-3.1+/-1.7 fs. Including previous (1989-1991) ALEPH measurements, the combined tau lifetime is 293.7+/-2.7+/-1.6 fs

Observation of the decay B¯¯¯0s→ψ(2S)K+π−

15 pages, 7 figures - See paper for full list of authorsInternational audienceThe decay B¯¯¯0s→ψ(2S)K+π− is observed using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The branching fraction relative to the B0→ψ(2S)K+π− decay mode is measured to beB(B¯¯¯0s→ψ(2S)K+π−)B(B0→ψ(2S)K+π−)=5.38±0.36(stat)±0.22(syst)±0.31(fs/fd)%,where fs/fd indicates the uncertainty due to the ratio of probabilities for a b quark to hadronise into a B0s or B0 meson. Using an amplitude analysis, the fraction of decays proceeding via an intermediate K∗(892)0 meson is measured to be 0.645±0.049(stat)±0.049(syst) and its longitudinal polarisation fraction is 0.524±0.056(stat)±0.029(syst). The relative branching fraction for this component is determined to beB(B¯¯¯0s→ψ(2S)K∗(892)0)B(B0→ψ(2S)K∗(892)0)=5.58±0.57(stat)±0.40(syst)±0.32(fs/fd)%.In addition, the mass splitting between the B0s and B0 mesons is measured asM(B0s)−M(B0)=87.45±0.44(stat)±0.07(syst)MeV/c2

Observation of the B0→ρ0ρ0 decay from an amplitude analysis of B0→(π+π−)(π+π−) decays

See paper for full list of authorsInternational audienceProton-proton collision data recorded in 2011 and 2012 by the \lhcb experiment, co\-rres\-pon\-ding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0\invfb, are a\-na\-lysed to search for the charmless B0→ρ0ρ0 decay. More than 600 {\B^0 \to (\pi^+\pi^-)(\pi^+\pi^-)} signal decays are selected and used to perform an amplitude analysis from which the B0→ρ0ρ0 decay is observed for the first time with 7.1 standard deviations significance. The fraction of B0→ρ0ρ0 decays yielding a longitudinally polarised final state is measured to be \fL = 0.745^{+0.048}_{-0.058} ({\rm stat}) \pm 0.034 ({\rm syst}). The B0→ρ0ρ0 branching fraction, using the {\B^0 \to \phi K^*(892)^{0}} decay as reference, is also reported as {\BF(B^0 \to \rho^0 \rho^0) = (0.94 \pm 0.17 ({\rm stat}) \pm 0.09 ({\rm syst}) \pm 0.06 ({\rm BF})) \times 10^{-6}}

Quantum numbers of the X(3872)X(3872) state and orbital angular momentum in its ρ0Jψρ^0 Jψ decay

16 pages, 4 figures - See paper for full list of authorsInternational audienceAngular correlations in B+→X(3872)K+ decays, with X(3872)→ρ0J/ψ, ρ0→π+π− and J/ψ→μ+μ−, are used to measure orbital angular momentum contributions and to determine the JPC value of the X(3872) meson. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector. This determination, for the first time performed without assuming a value for the orbital angular momentum, confirms the quantum numbers to be JPC=1++. The X(3872) is found to decay predominantly through S wave and an upper limit of 4% at 95% C.L. is set on the fraction of D wave

Measurement of bb-hadron branching fractions for two-body decays into charmless charged hadrons

15 pages, 5 figures, 7 tables - See paper for full list of authorsBased on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.37 fb^-1 collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011, the following ratios of branching fractions are measured: B(B0 -> pi+ pi-) / B(B0 -> K+pi-) = 0.262 +/- 0.009 +/- 0.017, (fs/fd) * B(Bs -> K+K-) / B(B^0 -> K+pi-) = 0.316 +/- 0.009 +/- 0.019, (fs/fd) * B(Bs ->pi+ K-) / B(B0 -> K+pi-) = 0.074 +/- 0.006 +/- 0.006, (fd/fs) * B(B0 -> K+K-) / B(Bs -> K+K-) = 0.018 {+ 0.008 - 0.007} +/- 0.009, (fs/fd) * B(Bs -> pi+pi-) / B(B0 -> pi+pi-) = 0.050 {+ 0.011 - 0.009} +/- 0.004, B(Lambda_b -> p pi-) / B(Lambda_b -> p K-) = 0.86 +/- 0.08 +/- 0.05, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Using the current world average of B(B0 -> K+pi-) and the ratio of the strange to light neutral B meson production fs/fd measured by LHCb, we obtain: B(B0 -> pi+pi-) = (5.08 +/- 0.17 +/- 0.37) x 10^-6, B(Bs -> K+K-) = (23.0 +/- 0.7 +/- 2.3) x 10^-6, B(Bs -> pi+K-) = (5.4 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.6) x 10^-6, B(B0 -> K+K-) = (0.11 {+ 0.05 - 0.04} +/- 0.06) x 10^-6, B(Bs -> pi+pi-) = (0.95 {+ 0.21 - 0.17} +/- 0.13) x 10^-6. The measurements of B(Bs -> K+K-), B(Bs -> pi+ K-) and B(B0 -> K+K-) are the most precise to date. The decay mode Bs -> pi+pi- is observed for the first time with a significance of more than 5 sigma

Precision measurement of the ratio of the Λb0\Lambda^0_b to B‾0\overline{B}^0 lifetimes

11 pages, 6 figures - See paper for full list of authorsThe LHCb measurement of the lifetime ratio of the $\Lambda^0_b$ to the $\overline{B}^0$ meson is updated using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected using 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energy $pp$ collisions at the LHC. The decay modes used are $\overline{B}^0\to J/\psi p K^-$ and $\overline{B}^0\to J/\psi \pi^+ K^-$, where the $\pi^+K^-$ mass is consistent with that of the $\overline{K}^{*0}(892)$ meson. The lifetime ratio is determined with unprecedented precision to be $0.974\pm0.006\pm0.004$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This result is in agreement with original theoretical predictions based on the heavy quark expansion. Using the current world average of the $\overline{B}^0$ lifetime, the $\Lambda^0_b$ lifetime is found to be $1.479 \pm 0.009 \pm 0.010$ ps