A study of the $B^+\to K^0_SK^+K^-π^+$ and $B^+\to K^0_SK^+K^+π^-$ decays is performed using proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV at the LHCb experiment. The $K^0_SK π$ invariant mass spectra from both decay modes reveal a rich content of charmonium resonances. New precise measurements of the $η_c$ and $η_c(2S)$ resonance parameters are performed and branching fraction measurements are obtained for $B^+$ decays to $η_c$, $J/ψ$, $η_c(2S)$ and $χ_{c1}$ resonances. In particular, the first observation and branching fraction measurement of $B^+ \to χ_{c0} K^0 π^+$ is reported as well as first measurements of the $B^+\to K^0K^+K^-π^+$ and $B^+\to K^0K^+K^+π^-$ branching fractions. Dalitz plot analyses of $η_c \to K^0_SKπ$ and $η_c(2S) \to K^0_SKπ$ decays are performed. A new measurement of the amplitude and phase of the $K π$ $S$-wave as functions of the $K π$ mass is performed, together with measurements of the $K^*_0(1430)$, $K^*_0(1950)$ and $a_0(1700)$ parameters. Finally, the branching fractions of $χ_{c1}$ decays to $K^*$ resonances are also measured.
A model-independent determination of the CKM angle $γ$ is presented, using the $B^\pm\to[K^+K^-π^+π^-]_D h^\pm$ and $B^\pm\to[π^+π^-π^+π^-]_D h^\pm$ decays, with $h=K,π$. This measurement is the first phase-space-binned study of these decay modes, and uses a sample of proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9$fb$^{-1}$. The phase-space bins are optimised for sensitivity to $γ$, and in each bin external inputs from the BESIII experiment are used to constrain the charm strong-phase parameters. The result of this binned analysis is $γ= (53.9_{-8.9}^{+9.5})^\circ$, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. Furthermore, when combining with existing phase-space-integrated measurements of the same decay modes, a value of $γ= (52.6_{-6.4}^{+8.5})^\circ$ is obtained, which is one of the most precise determinations of $γ$ to date.
This paper presents a thorough study of the local and nonlocal amplitudes in $B^+ \to K^+μ^+μ^-$ transitions through an amplitude analysis of the dimuon mass spectrum of the decay. The analysis is based on $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.4fb$^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. This measurement employs a model that describes both one-particle and two-particle nonlocal amplitudes across the entirety of the dimuon mass spectrum, enabling the determination of both short- and long-distance contributions to the decay. The compatibility of the Wilson coefficient combinations $C_9+C_9'$ and $C_{10}+C_{10}'$ with the Standard Model prediction is found to vary between $1.6\,σ$ and $4\,σ$, depending on the choice of local form factors.
The inclusive production of the $η_c(1S)$, $η_c(2S)$ and $χ_{c}$ charmonium states in $b$-hadron decays is studied with LHCb Run~2 data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.9~\text{fb}^{-1}$, using charmonia decays to $φφ$ pairs. The production branching fractions of the $χ_{c}(1P)$ states in $b$-hadron decays are measured, using $b \to η_c(1S) (\to φφ) X$ as a normalisation channel, with $X$ indicating any additional particles. The results are \begin{align*} &{\cal{B}} (b \to χ_{c0} X) = (1.34 \pm 0.13 \pm 0.06 \pm 0.37) \times 10^{-3}, &{\cal{B}} (b \to χ_{c1} X) = (1.58 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.09 \pm 0.44) \times 10^{-3}, &{\cal{B}} (b \to χ_{c2} X) = (0.55 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.15) \times 10^{-3}, \end{align*} where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the last is due to the limited knowledge of externally measured branching fractions. The production branching fraction of $η_c(2S)$ times the branching fraction of its decay into $φφ$ is measured as ${\cal{B}} (b \to η_c(2S) X) \times {\cal{B}} (η_c(2S) \to φφ) = (4.0 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.6 \pm 1.1) \times 10^{-7}$. Furthermore, the mass of the $η_c(1S)$ state is measured to be $M_{η_c(1S)} =
An amplitude analysis of the $B^0 \rightarrow η_{c}(1S) K^+ π^- $ decays with $η_{c}(1S) \to p \bar{p}$ is performed using a sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9$\text{fb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$ = 7, 8 and 13TeV. The data are described with a model including only intermediate contributions from known $K^{0\star}$ resonances. Evidence for an exotic resonance in the $η_{c}(1S) π^{-} $ system, reported in a previous analysis of this decay channel, is not confirmed. The inclusive branching fraction of the $B^0 \rightarrow η_{c}(1S) K^+ π^- $ decays is measured to be \begin{align*} \mathcal{B}(B^0 \rightarrow η_{c}(1S) K^+ π^- ) = (5.82 \pm 0.20 \pm 0.23 \pm 0.55) \times 10^{-4}, \end{align*} where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third arises from the limited knowledge of external branching fractions.
The decay $B^0 \to Λ_c^+ \barΛ_c^- K_S^0$ is studied at LHCb for the first time using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb$^{-1}$. The branching ratio relative to the decay $B^+ \to Λ_c^+ \barΛ_c^- K^+$ is measured to be $$ \frac{{\cal B}(B^0 \to Λ_c^+ \barΛ_c^- K_S^0)}{{\cal B}(B^+ \to Λ_c^+ \barΛ_c^- K^+)} = 0.53 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.05, $$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Evidence is found for contributions from two resonant states, $Ξ_c(2923)^+$ and $Ξ_c(2939)^+$, in the $Λ_c^+ K_S^0$ system. The two states show a significance of $3.9σ$ relative to the nonresonant hypothesis. These two $Ξ_c^+$ states are consistent with being the isospin partners of the states observed in $Λ_c^+ K^-$ system.
A flavor-tagged time-dependent analysis of $B^{0}\rightarrow K_{S}^{0}μ^{+}μ^{-}$ decays is performed across the full dimuon mass range excluding the $J/ψ$ and $ψ(2S)$ resonance regions. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011--2018 at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9$fb^{-1}$. The CP violation parameters are determined to be $C=-0.13 \pm 0.32 \pm 0.04$ and $S= +0.82\pm 0.29 \pm 0.05$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The results are consistent with the Standard Model prediction. This is the first experimental study of time-dependent CP violation in $b\rightarrow sl^{+}l^{-}$ processes.
Branching fraction ratios between the decays $B^{0}_{(s)} \rightarrow J/ψη^{(\prime)}$ are measured using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of $7$, $8$ and $13~\textrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9~ \textrm{fb}^{-1}$. The measured ratios of these branching fractions are $\frac{BF(B^{0} \rightarrow J/ψη^{\prime})}{BF(B^{0} \rightarrow J/ψη)} = 0.48 \pm 0.06 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.01$ and $\frac{BF(B^{0}_{s} \rightarrow J/ψη^{\prime})}{BF(B^{0}_{s} \rightarrow J/ψη)} = 0.80 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.01$, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic and related to the precision of the $η^{(\prime)}$ branching fractions, respectively. They are used to constrain the $η/η^{\prime}$ mixing angle, $φ_{P}$, and to probe the presence of a possible glueball component in the $η^{\prime}$ meson, described by the gluonic mixing angle $φ_{G}$. The obtained results are $φ_{P} = (41.6^{+1.0}_{-1.2})^\circ$ and $φ_{G} = (28.1^{+3.9}_{-4.0})^\circ$, where the uncertainties are statistically dominated. While the value of $φ_{P}$ is compatible with existing experimental determinations and theoretical calculations, the angle $φ
The first evidence for the decay $B^+\toπ^+ e^+ e^-$ is reported using proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{-1}$. A signal excess with a significance of 3.2$σ$ is observed and the branching fraction is measured to be $\cal{BR}(B^+\toπ^+ e^+ e^-) = (2.4\,{}^{+0.9}_{-0.8} \,{}^{+0.4}_{-0.2}) \times 10^{-8}$, where the first set of uncertainties is statistical and the second is systematic. The result is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.
A measurement of the CKM angle $γ$ is performed by applying a novel, unbinned, model-independent approach to datasets of electron-positron collisions collected by the BESIII experiment and proton-proton collisions by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 8 fb$^{-1}$ and 9 fb$^{-1}$, respectively. The $C\!P$-violating phase $γ$ is determined from ${B^{\pm}\rightarrow D(\rightarrow K_{\rm S}^{0} h^{\prime+}h^{\prime-}) h^{\pm}}$ decays in LHCb data, where $h^{(\prime)}$ is either a pion or kaon, while the corresponding strong-phase parameters are measured using doubly tagged ${D\rightarrow K_{\rm S/L}^0 h^{\prime+} h^{\prime-}}$ decays in the quantum-correlated $D\overline{D}$ system present in BESIII data. A joint fit to both datasets, which allows for a simultaneous determination of the associated $C\!P$-violating observables and strong-phase parameters, yields ${γ= (71.3\pm 5.0)^{\circ}}$. The result is the most precise to date and consistent with previous measurements and world averages.
This paper presents the first measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry, $A_{\rm FB}$, and the flat term, $F_{H}$, that parameterise the angular distribution of the $B^+\toπ^+μ^+μ^-$ decay. The proton-proton collision dataset used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb experiment between 2011 and 2018. The analysis is performed in two intervals of dimuon mass squared, one above and one below the region containing the $J\mskip -3mu/\mskip -2muψ$ and $ψ(2S)$ narrow charmonium resonances. The Standard Model predictions lie within the obtained $68\%$ confidence level interval in the high-mass and within the $99\%$ interval in the low-mass region.
A measurement of the CKM angle $γ$ and related strong-phase parameters is performed using a novel, model-independent approach in ${B^{\pm}\rightarrow D(\rightarrow K^{0}_{\rm S} h^{\prime+}h^{\prime-}) h^{\pm}}$ decays, where $h^{(\prime)} \equiv π, K$. The analysis uses a joint data sample of electron-positron collisions collected by the BESIII experiment at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider II during 2010--2011 and 2021--2022, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8 fb$^{-1}$, and proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider during 2011--2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{-1}$. The two datasets are analyzed simultaneously by applying per-event weights based on the amplitude variation over the $D$-decay phase space to enhance the sensitivity to $C\!P$-violating observables. The CKM angle $γ$ is determined to be $γ= (71.3\pm 5.0)^{\circ}$, which constitutes the most precise single measurement to date.
The ratio between the branching fractions of the $B^0\rightarrow ρ(770)^{0}γ$ and $B^{0}\rightarrow K^{*}(892)^{0}γ$ decays is measured with proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb${}^{-1}$. The measured value is \begin{equation*} \frac{{\cal B}(B^0\rightarrow ρ(770)^{0}γ)}{{\cal B}(B^0\rightarrow K^{*}(892)^{0}γ)}=0.0189\pm 0.0007\pm 0.0005, \end{equation*} where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The branching fraction for $B^0\rightarrow ρ(770)^{0}γ$ decays is hence obtained as \begin{equation*} {\cal{B}}(B^0\rightarrow ρ(770)^{0}γ) =(7.9\pm 0.3\pm 0.2\pm 0.2) \times 10^{-7}, \end{equation*} where the last uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the normalisation mode. This result assumes that both the $ρ(770)^0$ and $K^{*}(892)^0$ decays saturate the dihadron mass spectra considered in the analysis. It is consistent with the current world-average value and by far the most precise measurement to date.
This paper describes a measurement of the $Λ_b^0\to J/ψΛ$ branching fraction using data collected with the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions from 2016 to 2018. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.4$\,\text{fb}^{-1}$. The branching fraction is determined relative to that of $B^0\to J/ψK^0_\text{S}$ decays, $\frac{\mathcal{B}(Λ_b^0\to J/ψΛ)}{\mathcal{B}(B^0\to J/ψK^0_\text{S}} = 0.750 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.022 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.062\,,$ yielding $\mathcal{B}(Λ_b^0\to J/ψΛ) = (3.34 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.10 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.28)\times 10^{-4}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, the third due to external inputs on branching fractions and the fourth due to the ratio of $Λ_b^0$ baryon and $B^0$ meson hadronisation fractions. In addition, the isospin asymmetry between the rates of $B^0\to J/ψK^0_\text{S}$ and $B^+\to J/ψK^+$ decays is measured to be $A_{\rm I} = -0.0135 \pm 0.0004 \pm 0.0133$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
Measurements of the combined CP asymmetries in $\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}^0 \to D_s^- D^+$ and $\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}_s^0 \to D_s^+ D^-$ decays are made using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9fb$^{-1}$. The measurements are found to be \begin{aligned} A_{CP}(\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}^0 \to D_s^- D^+) &= 0.0009 \pm 0.0053 \pm 0.0040, \\ A_{CP}(\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}_s^0 \to D_s^+ D^-) &= 0.103\phantom{0} \pm 0.053\phantom{0} \pm 0.010, \end{aligned} where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. This is the first measurement of this asymmetry in $\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}_s^0$ decays, and the most precise measurement to date for $\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}^0$ decays. Both measurements are found to be consistent with CP symmetry.
Measurements of $CP$ observables in $B^\pm \rightarrow D^{(*)} K^\pm$ and $B^\pm \rightarrow D^{(*)} π^\pm$ decays are presented, where $D^{(*)}$ indicates a neutral $D$ or $D^*$ meson that is an admixture of $D^{(*)0}$ and $\bar{D}^{(*)0}$ states. Decays of the $D^*$ meson to the $Dπ^0$ and $Dγ$ final states are partially reconstructed without inclusion of the neutral pion or photon, resulting in distinctive shapes in the $B$ candidate invariant mass distribution. Decays of the $D$ meson are fully reconstructed in the $K^\pm π^\mp$, $K^+ K^-$ and $π^+ π^-$ final states. The analysis uses a sample of charged $B$ mesons produced in $pp$ collisions collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0, 1.0 and 2.0 fb$^{-1}$ taken at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$ = 7, 8 and 13 TeV, respectively. The study of $B^{\pm} \to D^{*} K^{\pm}$ and $B^{\pm} \to D^{*} π^{\pm}$ decays using a partial reconstruction method is the first of its kind, while the measurement of $B^{\pm} \to D K^{\pm}$ and $B^{\pm} \to D π^{\pm}$ decays is an update of previous LHCb measurements. The $B^{\pm} \to D K^{\pm}$ results are the most precise to date.
The time-dependent $CP$ asymmetry in $B^{0}\!\to{J\mskip-3mu/\mskip-2muψ}ρ(770)^0$ decays is measured using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $6\,\text{fb}^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of $13\,\text{TeV}$ during the years 2015-2018. The $CP$-violation parameters for this process are determined to be $2β^{\rm eff}_{c\bar{c}d} = 0.710 \pm 0.084 \pm 0.028\,\text{rad}$ and $|λ| = 1.019 \pm 0.034 \pm 0.009$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This constitutes the first observation of time-dependent $CP$ violation in $B$ meson decays to charmonium final states mediated by a $b\!\to{c\bar{c}d}$ transition. These results are consistent with, and two times more precise than, the previous LHCb measurement based on a data sample collected at 7 and $8\,\text{TeV}$ corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $3\,\text{fb}^{-1}$. Assuming approximate SU(3) flavor symmetry, these two measurements are combined to set the most stringent constraint on the enguin contribution, $Δφ_{s}$, to the $CP$-violating phase $φ_{s}$ in $B^{0}_{s}\!\to{J\mskip-3mu/\mskip-2muψ}φ(1020)$ decays, yieldin
The decay $B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} π^{\pm}$, with a $CP$ asymmetry expected to be close to zero in the Standard Model, is theoretically clean and sensitive to potential new physics. An analysis of the decays $B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} π^{\pm}$ and $B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm}$ is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of $13\,\mathrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The \CP asymmetries are determined to be ${\cal A}^{CP}(B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} π^{\pm})=-0.028\pm 0.009\pm 0.009$ and ${\cal A}^{CP}(B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm})=0.118\pm 0.062 \pm 0.031$, and the branching fraction ratio is measured to be ${\cal B}(B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm})/{\cal B}(B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} π^{\pm})=0.055\pm 0.004 \pm 0.002$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. These results are the most precise measurements of these quantities to date. A search for the rare decay $B_c^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm}$ is also performed. No significant signal is observed, and the upper limit on the product of the branchin
An amplitude analysis of the $B^+\to(π^+π^-)(K^0_{\mathrm{S}}π^+)$ decay is performed in the mass regions $0.30 < m_{π^+π^-} < 1.10\,\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ and $0.75 < m_{K^0_{\mathrm{S}}π^+} < 1.20\,\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$, using $pp$ collision data recorded with the LHCb detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The polarization fractions and $CP$ asymmetries for $B^+\toρ(770)^0K^*(892)^+$ decays are measured. Violation of the $CP$ symmetry in the decay $B^+\toρ(770)^0K^*(892)^+$ is observed for the first time, with a significance exceeding nine standard deviations. The $CP$ asymmetry is measured to be ${\cal A}_{CP} = 0.507 \pm 0.062\ \text{(stat)} \pm 0.024\ \text{(syst)}$ and the $CP$-averaged longitudinal polarization fraction of $f_L = 0.720 \pm 0.028\ \text{(stat)} \pm 0.009\ \text{(syst)}$. The measurements help to shed light on the polarization puzzle of $B$ mesons decaying to two vector mesons.
A search is presented for the two-body charmed baryonic decays $\overline{B}_{(s)}^{0}\toΛ_{c}^{+}\overlineΛ_{c}{}^{-}$, using a data sample collected by the LHCb experiment during 2011--2012 and 2015--2018 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The first observation of the $\overline{B}_{s}^{0}\toΛ_{c}^{+}\overlineΛ_{c}{}^{-}$ decay is reported with $6.2σ$ significance, along with $4.3σ$ evidence for the $\overline{B}^{0}\toΛ_{c}^{+}\overlineΛ_{c}{}^{-}$ decay. The branching fractions are measured to be $\mathcal{B}{}(\overline{B}^{0}\toΛ_{c}^{+}\overlineΛ_{c}{}^{-}) = (1.01^{+0.27}_{-0.28} \pm 0.08 \pm 0.15) \times 10^{-5}$ and $\mathcal{B}{}(\overline{B}_{s}^{0}\toΛ_{c}^{+}\overlineΛ_{c}{}^{-}) = (5.0 \pm 1.3 \pm 0.5 \pm 0.8) \times 10^{-5}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third due to external inputs. These results provide novel experimental inputs for the theoretical framework describing two-body baryonic decays of $B$ mesons via $W$-emission and $W$-exchange mechanisms.