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arXiv · 2504.06096

Observation of the very rare $\Sigma^+ \to p \mu^+ \mu^-$ decay

LHCb collaboration·R. Aaij·A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb·C. Abellan Beteta·F. Abudinén·T. Ackernley·A. A. Adefisoye·B. Adeva·M. Adinolfi·P. Adlarson·C. Agapopoulou·C. A. Aidala·Z. Ajaltouni·S. Akar·K. Akiba·P. Albicocco·J. Albrecht·F. Alessio·Z. Aliouche·P. Alvarez Cartelle·R. Amalric·S. Amato·J. L. Amey·Y. Amhis·L. An·L. Anderlini·M. Andersson·A. Andreianov·P. Andreola·M. Andreotti·D. Andreou·A. Anelli·D. Ao·F. Archilli·M. Argenton·S. Arguedas Cuendis·A. Artamonov·M. Artuso·E. Aslanides·R. Ataíde Da Silva·M. Atzeni·B. Audurier·D. Bacher·I. Bachiller Perea·S. Bachmann·M. Bachmayer·J. J. Back·P. Baladron Rodriguez·V. Balagura·A. Balboni·W. Baldini·L. Balzani·H. Bao·J. Baptista de Souza Leite·C. Barbero Pretel·M. Barbetti·I. R. Barbosa·R. J. Barlow·M. Barnyakov·S. Barsuk·W. Barter·J. Bartz·S. Bashir·B. Batsukh·P. B. Battista·A. Bay·A. Beck·M. Becker·F. Bedeschi·I. B. Bediaga·N. A. Behling·S. Belin·K. Belous·I. Belov·I. Belyaev·G. Benane·G. Bencivenni·E. Ben-Haim·A. Berezhnoy·R. Bernet·S. Bernet Andres·A. Bertolin·C. Betancourt·F. Betti·J. Bex·Ia. Bezshyiko·O. Bezshyyko·J. Bhom·M. S. Bieker·N. V. Biesuz·P. Billoir·A. Biolchini·M. Birch·F. C. R. Bishop·A. Bitadze·A. Bizzeti·T. Blake·F. Blanc·J. E. Blank·S. Blusk
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Abstract

The first observation of the $\Sigma^+ \to p \mu^+ \mu^-$ decay is reported with high significance using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\,\rm{fb}^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13~TeV. A yield of $237\pm 16$ $\Sigma^+ \to p \mu^+ \mu^-$ decays is obtained, where the uncertainty is statistical only. A branching fraction of $(1.08 \pm 0.17) \times 10^{-8}$ is measured, where the uncertainty includes statistical and systematic sources. No evidence of resonant structures is found in the dimuon invariant-mass distribution. All results are compatible with Standard Model expectations. This represents the rarest decay of a baryon ever observed.

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LHCb collaboration, R. Aaij, A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb, C. Abellan Beteta, F. Abudinén, T. Ackernley, A. A. Adefisoye, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, P. Adlarson, C. Agapopoulou, C. A. Aidala, Z. Ajaltouni, S. Akar, K. Akiba, P. Albicocco, J. Albrecht, F. Alessio, Z. Aliouche, P. Alvarez Cartelle, R. Amalric, S. Amato, J. L. Amey, Y. Amhis, L. An, L. Anderlini, M. Andersson, A. Andreianov, P. Andreola, M. Andreotti, D. Andreou, A. Anelli, D. Ao, F. Archilli, M. Argenton, S. Arguedas Cuendis, A. Artamonov, M. Artuso, E. Aslanides, R. Ataíde Da Silva, M. Atzeni, B. Audurier, D. Bacher, I. Bachiller Perea, S. Bachmann, M. Bachmayer, J. J. Back, P. Baladron Rodriguez, V. Balagura, A. Balboni, W. Baldini, L. Balzani, H. Bao, J. Baptista de Souza Leite, C. Barbero Pretel, M. Barbetti, I. R. Barbosa, R. J. Barlow, M. Barnyakov, S. Barsuk, W. Barter, J. Bartz, S. Bashir, B. Batsukh, P. B. Battista, A. Bay, A. Beck, M. Becker, F. Bedeschi, I. B. Bediaga, N. A. Behling, S. Belin, K. Belous, I. Belov, I. Belyaev, G. Benane, G. Bencivenni, E. Ben-Haim, A. Berezhnoy, R. Bernet, S. Bernet Andres, A. Bertolin, C. Betancourt, F. Betti, J. Bex, Ia. Bezshyiko, O. Bezshyyko, J. Bhom, M. S. Bieker, N. V. Biesuz, P. Billoir, A. Biolchini, M. Birch, F. C. R. Bishop, A. Bitadze, A. Bizzeti, T. Blake, F. Blanc, J. E. Blank, S. Blusk. 2025-04-08. Observation of the very rare $\Sigma^+ \to p \mu^+ \mu^-$ decay. https://doi.org/10.1103/r3v2-kmmp

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