Observation of the $${B}_c^{+}\to J/\psi {\pi}^{+}{\pi}^0$$ decay

Abstract

Abstract The first observation of the $${B}_c^{+}\to J/\psi {\pi}^{+}{\pi}^0$$ B c + → J / ψ π + π 0 decay is reported with high significance using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The ratio of its branching fraction relative to the $${B}_c^{+}\to J/\psi {\pi}^{+}$$ B c + → J / ψ π + channel is measured to be$$\frac{{\mathcal{B}}_{B_c^{+}\to J/\psi {\pi}^{+}{\pi}^0}}{{\mathcal{B}}_{B_c^{+}\to J/\psi {\pi}^{+}}}=2.80\pm 0.15\pm 0.11\pm 0.16,$$ B B c + → J / ψ π + π 0 B B c + → J / ψ π + = 2.80 ± 0.15 ± 0.11 ± 0.16 , where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third related to imprecise knowledge of the branching fractions for B+ → J/ψK*+ and $${B}_c^{+}\to J/\psi {\pi}^{+}$$ B c + → J / ψ π + decays, which are used to determine the π0 detection efficiency. The π+π0 mass spectrum is found to be consistent with the dominance of an intermediate ρ+ contribution in accordance with a model based on QCD factorisation.</jats:p