The standard model of particle physics is our best description yet of fundamental particles and their interactions, but it is known to be incomplete. As yet undiscovered particles and interactions ...might exist. One of the most powerful ways to search for new particles is by studying processes known as flavour-changing neutral current decays, whereby a quark changes its flavour without altering its electric charge. One example of such a transition is the decay of a beauty quark into a strange quark. Here we review some intriguing anomalies in these decays, which have revealed potential cracks in the standard model-hinting at the existence of new phenomena.
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) Measurements of b hadron production ratios in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with an integrated ...luminosity of 3 pb super(-1) are presented. We study the ratios of strange B meson to light B meson production functionof sub(s)/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) and ... baryon to light B meson production functionof sub(Lambda)b/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) as a function of the charmed hadron-muon pair transverse momentum p sub(T) and the b hadron pseudorapidity eta, for p sub(T) between 0 and 14 GeV and eta between 2 and 5. We find that functionof sub(s)/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) is consistent with being independent of p sub(T) and eta, and we determine ..., where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The corresponding ratio functionof sub(Lambda)b/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) is found to be dependent upon the transverse momentum of the charmed hadron-muon pair, functionof sub(Lambda)b/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) = (0.404 + or - 0.017(stat) + or - 0.027(syst) + or - 0.105(Br)), where Br reflects an absolute scale uncertainty due to the poorly x 1 - (0.031 + or - 0.004(stat) + or - 0.003(syst)) x p sub(T)(GeV) known branching fraction ... We extract the ratio of strange B meson to light neutral B meson production functionof sub(s)/functionof sub(d) by averaging the result eported here with two previous measurements derived from the relative abundances of ... to B super(0 arrow right )D super(+)K super(-) and B super(0) arrow right a D super(+)pi super(-). We obtain ...
A
bstract
This report details the capabilities of LHCb and its upgrades towards the study of kaons and hyperons. The analyses performed so far are reviewed, elaborating on the prospects for some key ...decay channels, while proposing some new measurements in LHCb to expand its strangeness research program.
A search for a long-lived scalar particle χ is performed, looking for the decay B+→K+χ with χ→μ+μ− in pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1, collected by the LHCb ...experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7 and 8 TeV. This new scalar particle, predicted by hidden sector models, is assumed to have a narrow width. The signal would manifest itself as an excess in the dimuon invariant mass distribution over the Standard Model background. No significant excess is observed in the accessible ranges of mass 250<m(χ)<4700 MeV/c2 and lifetime 0.1<τ(χ)<1000 ps. Upper limits on the branching fraction B(B+→K+χ(μ+μ−)) at 95% confidence level are set as a function of m(χ) and τ(χ), varying between 2×10−10 and 10−7. These are the most stringent limits to date. The limits are interpreted in the context of a model with a light inflaton particle.
Two-particle angular correlations are studied in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon–nucleon centre-of-mass energy of sNN=5 TeV, collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on ...data recorded in two beam configurations, in which either the direction of the proton or that of the lead ion is analysed. The correlations are measured in the laboratory system as a function of relative pseudorapidity, Δη, and relative azimuthal angle, Δϕ, for events in different classes of event activity and for different bins of particle transverse momentum. In high-activity events a long-range correlation on the near side, Δϕ≈0, is observed in the pseudorapidity range 2.0<η<4.9. This measurement of long-range correlations on the near side in proton-lead collisions extends previous observations into the forward region up to η=4.9. The correlation increases with growing event activity and is found to be more pronounced in the direction of the lead beam. However, the correlation in the direction of the lead and proton beams are found to be compatible when comparing events with similar absolute activity in the direction analysed.
A
bstract
Production cross-sections of prompt charm mesons are measured using data from
pp
collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 5 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated ...luminosity of 8
.
60 ± 0
.
33 pb
−1
collected by the LHCb experiment. The production cross-sections of
D
0
,
D
+
,
D
s
+
, and
D
∗+
mesons are measured in bins of charm meson transverse momentum,
p
T
, and rapidity,
y
. They cover the rapidity range 2
.
0
< y <
4
.
5 and transverse momentum ranges 0
< p
T
<
10 GeV
/c
for
D
0
and
D
+
and 1
< p
T
<
10 GeV
/c
for
D
s
+
and
D
∗+
mesons. The inclusive cross-sections for the four mesons, including charge-conjugate states, within the range of 1
< p
T
<
8 GeV
/c
are determined to be
σ
pp
→
D
0
X
=
1004
±
3
±
54
μ
b
,
σ
pp
→
D
+
X
=
402
±
2
±
30
μ
b
,
σ
pp
→
D
s
+
X
=
170
±
4
±
16
μ
b
,
σ
pp
→
D
∗
+
X
=
421
±
5
±
36
μ
b
,
where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.
Differences in the behaviour of matter and antimatter have been observed in K and B meson decays, but not yet in any baryon decay. Such differences are associated with the non-invariance of ...fundamental interactions under the combined charge-conjugation and parity transformations, known as CP violation. Here, using data from the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, we search for CP-violating asymmetries in the decay angle distributions of Λb0 baryons decaying to pπ-π+π- and pπ-K+K- final states. These four-body hadronic decays are a promising place to search for sources of CP violation both within and beyond the standard model of particle physics. We find evidence for CP violation in Λb0 to pπ-π+π- decays with a statistical significance corresponding to 3.3 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. This represents the first evidence for CP violation in the baryon sector.
Single crystal neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and electron spin resonance experiments are used to study the magnetic structure and spin waves in Pb
VO(PO
)
, a prototypical ...layered
1
2 ferromagnet with frustrating next-nearest neighbor antiferromagnetic interactions. The observed excitation spectrum is found to be inconsistent with a simple square lattice model previously proposed for this material. At least four distinct exchange coupling constants are required to reproduce the measured spin wave dispersion. The degree of magnetic frustration is correspondingly revised and found to be substantially smaller than in all previous estimates.
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted; see image) Abstract The production cross-sections of B mesons are measured in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, using ...data collected with the LHCb detector corresponding to a integrated luminosity of 0.36 fb^sup -1^. The B ^sup +^, B ^sup 0^ and ... mesons are reconstructed in the exclusive decays B ^sup +^ arrow right J/psiK ^sup +^, B ^sup 0^ arrow right J/psiK ^sup *0^ and ..., with J/psi arrow right mu ^sup +^ mu ^sup -^, K ^sup *0^ arrow right K ^sup +^pi^sup -^ and arrow right K ^sup +^ K ^sup -^. The differential cross-sections are measured as functions of B meson transverse momentum p ^sub T^ and rapidity y, in the range 0 < p ^sub T^ < 40 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The integrated cross-sections in the same p ^sub T^ and y ranges, including charge-conjugate states, are measured to be ...where the third uncertainty arises from the pre-existing branching fraction measurements. Figure not available: see fulltext.
A
bstract
The forward-backward charge asymmetry for the process
q
q
¯
→
Z
/
γ
∗
→
μ
+
μ
−
is measured as a function of the invariant mass of the dimuon system. Measurements are performed using proton ...proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at
s
=
7
and 8 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1 fb
−1
and 2 fb
−1
respectively. Within the Standard Model the results constrain the effective electroweak mixing angle to be
sin
2
θ
W
eff
=
0.23142
±
0.00073
±
0.00052
±
0.00056
,
where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third theoretical. This result is in agreement with the current world average, and is one of the most precise determinations at hadron colliders to date.
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