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arXiv · 2505.03483

Measurement of the branching fraction ratio $R_K$ at large dilepton invariant mass

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·J. M. Basels·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
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Abstract

A test of lepton universality between muons and electrons is performed using $B^+\to K^+\ell^+\ell^-$ decays (where $\ell$ = $e$, $\mu$), in the dilepton invariant-mass-squared region above 14.3 GeV$^2/c^4$. The data used for the measurement consists of beauty meson decays produced in proton-proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 $\text{fb}^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment between 2011 and 2018. The ratio of branching fractions for $B^+\to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$ and $B^+\to K^+e^+e^-$ decays is measured to be $R_K = 1.08^{+0.11}_{-0.09}\;(\text{stat})\;^{+0.04}_{-0.04}\;(\text{syst})$, which is consistent with the Standard Model prediction of unity. This constitutes the most precise test of lepton flavour universality using $B^+\to K^+\ell^+\ell^-$ decays with dilepton invariant-mass-squared above the $\psi(2S)$ mass, whilst being the first of its kind at a hadron collider.

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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, J. M. Basels, 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. 2025-05-06. Measurement of the branching fraction ratio $R_K$ at large dilepton invariant mass. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep07(2025)198

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