arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J. Becker.
The Belle II experiment's ability to identify particles critically affects the sensitivity of its measurements. We describe Belle II's algorithms for identifying charged particles and evaluate their performance in separating pions, kaons, and protons using 426 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected at the energy-asymmetric $e^+e^-$ collider SuperKEKB in 2019--2022 at center-of-mass energies at and near the mass of the $Υ(4S)$.
We report a search for an axion-like particle $a$ in $B\rightarrow K^{(*)} a (\rightarrowγγ)$ decays using data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. The search is based on a $711 \mathrm{fb^{-1}}$ data sample collected at the $Υ4S$ resonance energy, corresponding to a sample of $772\times10^6$ $Υ4S$ events. In this study, we search for the decay of the axion-like particle into a pair of photons, $a \rightarrow γγ$. We scan the two-photon invariant mass in the range $0.16\ \mathrm{GeV/}c^2-4.50\ \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ for the $K$ modes and $0.16\ \mathrm{GeV/}c^2-4.20\ \mathrm{GeV}/c^2$ for the $K^{*}$ modes. No significant signal is observed in any of the modes, and 90\% confidence level upper limits are established on the coupling to the $W$ boson, $g_aW$, as a function of $a$ mass. The limits range from $3 \times 10^{-6} \mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ to $3 \times 10^{-5} \mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$, improving the current constraints on $g_aW$ by a factor of two over the most stringent previous experimental results.
We report measurements of time-dependent $CP$ asymmetries in $B^0 \to K^0_S π^0 γ$ decays based on a data sample of $(388\pm6)\times10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ events collected at the $Υ(4S)$ resonance with the Belle II detector. The Belle II experiment operates at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. We measure decay-time distributions to determine $CP$-violating parameters $S$ and $C$. We determine these parameters for two ranges of $K^0_S π^0$ invariant mass: $m(K^0_S π^0)\in (0.8, 1.0)$ $GeV/c^2$, which is dominated by $B^0 \to K^{*0} (\to K^0_S π^0) γ$ decays, and a complementary region $m(K^0_S π^0)\in (0.6, 0.8)\cup(1.0, 1.8)$ $GeV/c^2$. Our results have improved precision as compared to previous measurements and are consistent with theory predictions.
We measure the time-integrated $CP$ asymmetry in $D^0 \to K^0_{\rm S} K^0_{\rm S}$ decays reconstructed in $e^+e^-\to c{\overline c}$ events collected by the Belle and Belle II experiments. The corresponding data samples have integrated luminosities of 980 and 428 fb${}^{-1}$, respectively. To infer the flavor of the $D^0$ meson, we exploit the correlation between the flavor of the reconstructed decay and the electric charges of particles reconstructed in the rest of the $e^+e^-\to c{\overline c}$ event. This results in a sample which is independent from any other previously used at Belle or Belle II. The result, $A_{CP}(D^0 \to K^0_{\rm S} K^0_{\rm S}) = (1.3 \pm 2.0 \pm 0.2)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, is consistent with previous determinations and with $CP$ symmetry.
An absolute measurement of the $Λ^{+}_c$ lifetime is reported using $Λ_c^+\rightarrow pK^-π^+$ decays in events reconstructed from data collected by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. The total integrated luminosity of the data sample, which was collected at center-of-mass energies at or near the $Υ(4S)$ resonance, is $207.2~\mbox{fb}^{-1}$. The result, $τ(Λ^{+}_c) = 203.20 \pm 0.89 \,\mathrm{(stat)} \pm 0.77 \,\mathrm{(syst)}$ fs, is the most precise measurement to date and is consistent with previous determinations.
We present the results of a search for the charged-lepton-flavor violating decays $B^0 \rightarrow K^{*0}τ^\pm \ell^{\mp}$, where $\ell^{\mp}$ is either an electron or a muon. The results are based on 365 fb$^{-1}$ and 711 fb$^{-1}$ datasets collected with the Belle II and Belle detectors, respectively. We use an exclusive hadronic $B$-tagging technique, and search for a signal decay in the system recoiling against a fully reconstructed $B$ meson. We find no evidence for $B^0 \rightarrow K^{*0}τ^\pm \ell^{\mp}$ decays and set upper limits on the branching fractions in the range of $(2.9-6.4)\times10^{-5}$ at 90% confidence level.
We report a measurement of the $C\!P$-violating parameters $A$ and $S$ in $B^{0}\to K_{S}^{0} π^{0}$ decays at Belle II using a sample of $387\times 10^{6}$ $B\bar{B}$ events recorded in $e^{+}e^{-}$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy corresponding to the $Υ(4S)$ resonance. These parameters are determined by fitting the proper decay-time distribution of a sample of 415 signal events. We obtain $A = 0.04^{+0.15}_{-0.14}\pm 0.05$ and $S = 0.75^{+0.20}_{-0.23}\pm 0.04$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.
We report decay-rate $CP$ asymmetries of the singly-Cabibbo-suppressed decays $Ξ_c^+\toΣ^+h^+h^-$ and $Λ_c^+\to ph^+h^-$, with $h=K,π$, measured using 428 fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ collisions collected by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. The results, \begin{equation} A_{CP}(Ξ_c^+\toΣ^+K^+K^-) = (3.7\pm6.6\pm0.6)\%, \end{equation} \begin{equation} A_{CP}(Ξ_c^+\toΣ^+π^+π^-) = (9.5\pm6.8\pm0.5)\%, \end{equation} \begin{equation} A_{CP}(Λ_c^+\to pK^+K^-) = (3.9\pm1.7\pm0.7)\%, \end{equation} \begin{equation} A_{CP}(Λ_c^+\to pπ^+π^-) = (0.3\pm1.0\pm0.2)\%, \end{equation} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic, agree with $CP$ symmetry. From these results we derive the sums \begin{equation} A_{CP}(Ξ_c^+\toΣ^+π^+π^-) \, + \, A_{CP}(Λ_c^+\to pK^+K^-) = (13.4 \pm 7.0\pm 0.9)\%, \end{equation} \begin{equation} A_{CP}(Ξ_c^+\toΣ^+K^+K^-) \, + \, A_{CP}(Λ_c^+\to pπ^+π^-) = (\phantom{0}4.0 \pm 6.6\pm 0.7)\%, \end{equation} which are consistent with the $U$-spin symmetry prediction of zero. These are the first measurements of $CP$ asymmetries for individual hadronic three-body charmed-baryon decays.
We measure the time-integrated CP asymmetry in $D^{0} \rightarrow K^{0}_{S}K^{0}_{S}$ decays reconstructed in $e^{+}e^{-} \rightarrow c\overline{c}$ events collected by the Belle and Belle II experiments. The corresponding data samples have integrated luminosities of 980 fb$^{-1}$ and 428 fb$^{-1}$, respectively. The $D^{0}$ decays are required to originate from the $D^{*+} \rightarrow D^{0}π^{+}$ decay, which determines the charm flavor at production time. A control sample of $D^{0} \rightarrow K^{+}K^{-}$ decays is used to correct for production and detection asymmetries. The result, $(-1.4\pm1.3{\rm(stat)}\pm0.1{\rm (syst)})\%$, is consistent with previous determinations and with CP symmetry.
We report the first observation of the two-body baryonic decays $B^{+} \to Σ_{c}(2455)^{++} \overlineΞ_{c}^{-}$ and $B^{0} \to Σ_{c}(2455)^{0} \overlineΞ_{c}^{0}$ with significances of $7.3\,σ$ and $6.2\,σ$, respectively, including statistical and systematic uncertainties. The branching fractions are measured to be $\mathcal{B}(B^{+} \to Σ_{c}(2455)^{++} \overlineΞ_{c}^{-}) = (5.74 \pm 1.11 \pm 0.42_{-1.53}^{+2.47}) \times 10^{-4}$ and $\mathcal{B}(B^{0} \to Σ_{c}(2455)^{0} \overlineΞ_{c}^{0}) = (4.83 \pm 1.12 \pm 0.37_{-0.60}^{+0.72}) \times 10^{-4}$. The first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively, while the third ones arise from the absolute branching fractions of $\overlineΞ_{c}^{-}$ or $\overlineΞ_{c}^{0}$ decays. The data samples used for this analysis have integrated luminosities of 711~$\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ and 365~$\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$, and were collected at the $Υ(4S)$ resonance by the Belle and Belle~II detectors operating at the KEKB and SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy $e^{+}e^{-}$ colliders, respectively.
We measure the time-integrated $CP$ asymmetry, $A_{CP}$, in $D^0\toπ^0π^0$ decays reconstructed in $e^+e^-\to c\bar{c}$ events collected by Belle II during 2019--2022. The data corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 428$\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The $D^0$ decays are required to originate from the flavor-conserving $D^{*+} \to D^0 π^+$ decay to determine the charm flavor at production time. Control samples of $D^0\to K^- π^+$ decays, with or without an associated pion from a $D^{*+}$ decay, are used to correct for detection asymmetries. The result, $A_{CP}(D^0\toπ^0π^0) = (0.30\pm 0.72\pm 0.20)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, is consistent with $CP$ symmetry.
We measure the CP asymmetry in $D^+ \to π^+ π^0$ decays reconstructed in $e^+ e^-$ collisions at the Belle II experiment using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 428 fb$^{-1}$. A control sample of $D^+ \to π^+ K_{S}$ decays is used to correct for detection and production asymmetries. The result, $A_{CP}(D^+ \to π^+π^0) =(-1.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 0.1)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic, is the most precise determination to date. It agrees with the prediction of CP symmetry from the standard model, and with results of previous measurements.
Using 983.0 $\rm{fb}^{-1}$ and 427.9 $\rm{fb}^{-1}$ data samples collected with the Belle and Belle II detectors at the KEKB and SuperKEKB asymmetric energy $e^+e^-$ colliders, respectively, we present studies of the Cabibbo-favored $Ξ_c^+$ decays ${Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Σ^{+}K_{S}^{0}}$ and $Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Ξ^{0}π^{+}$, and the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decay $Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Ξ^{0}K^{+}$. The ratios of branching fractions of ${Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Σ^{+}K_{S}^{0}}$ and $Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Ξ^{0}K^{+}$ relative to that of $Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{-}π^{+}π^{+}$ are measured for the first time, while the ratio ${\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{0}π^{+})/{\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{-}π^{+}π^{+}) $ is also determined and improved by an order of magnitude in precision. The measured branching fraction ratios are $\frac{\cal{B}(Ξ_{c}^{+} \to Σ^{+}K_{S}^{0})}{\cal{B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Ξ^{-}π^{+}π^+)}= 0.067 \pm 0.007 \pm 0.003$, $\frac{\cal{B}(Ξ_c^{+} \to Ξ^{0}π^{+})}{\cal{B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Ξ^{-}π^{+}π^+)} = 0.251 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.010$, $\frac{\cal{B}(Ξ_c^{+} \to Ξ^{0}K^{+})}{\cal{B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\to Ξ^{-}π^{+}π^+)} = 0.017 \pm 0.003 \pm 0.001$. Additionally, the ratio ${\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{0}K^{+})/{\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{0}π^{+})$ is measured to be $ 0.068 \pm 0.010 \pm 0.004$. Here, the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. Multiplying the ratios by the branching fraction of the normalization mode, ${\mathcal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{-}π^{+}π^+)= (2.9\pm 1.3)\%$, we obtain the following absolute branching fractions ${\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΣ^{+}K^{0}_{S}) = (0.194 \pm 0.021 \pm 0.009 \pm 0.087 )%$, ${\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{0}π^{+}) = (0.728 \pm 0.014 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.326 )%$, ${\cal B}(Ξ_{c}^{+}\toΞ^{0}K^{+}) = (0.049 \pm 0.007 \pm 0.003 \pm 0.022 )%$.
Using data samples of 102 million Upsilon(1S) events and 158 million Upsilon(2S) events collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider, we search for [udsccbar] pentaquark states decaying to Jpsi Lambda. Using the first observations of Upsilon(1S, 2S) inclusive decays to Jpsi Lambda, we find evidence of the P_ccbars(4459)0 state with a local significance of 3.3 standard deviations, including statistical and systematic uncertainties. We measure the mass and width of the Pccbars(4459)0 to be (4471.7 +- 4.8 +- 0.6) MeV/c2 and (21.9 +- 13.1 +- 2.7) MeV, respectively. The branching fractions for P_ccbars(4459)0 production are measured to be B[Upsilon(1S) -> P_ccbars(4459)0/ Pbar_ccbars(4459)0 + anything] = (3.5 +- 2.0 +- 0.2)*10-6 and B[Upsilin(2S) -> P_ccbars(4459)0/ Pbar_ccbars(4459)0 +anything] = (2.9 +- 1.7 +- 0.4)*10-6. The inclusive branching fractions of Upsilon(1S, 2S) -> Jpsi Lambda/Lambdabar are measured to be B[Upsilin(1S) -> Jpsi Lambda/Lambdabar + anything] = (36.9 +- 5.3 +- 2.4)*10-6 and B[Upsilon(2S) -> Jpsi Lambda/Lambdabar + anything] = (22.3 +- 5.7 +- 3.1)*10-6. We measure the visible cross section $σ(e^+e^- \to J/psi Λ/\barΛ$ + anything) = (90 +- 14 +- 6) fb for the continuum production at $\sqrt{s} = 10.52$ GeV. In all cases, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.
We perform a model-independent measurement of the $D^0$-$\overline{D}{}^0$ mixing parameters using samples of $e^+e^-$-collision data collected by the Belle and Belle II experiments that have integrated luminosities of $951\ \text{fb}^{-1}$ and $408\ \text{fb}^{-1}$, respectively. Approximately $2.05\times10^6$ neutral $D$ mesons are reconstructed in the $D^0\rightarrow K^0_{S}π^+π^-$ channel, with the neutral $D$ flavor tagged by the charge of the pion in the $D^{*+}\rightarrow D^0π^+$ decay. Assuming charge-parity symmetry, the mixing parameters are measured to be $ x = (4.0\pm1.7\pm0.4)\times 10^{-3} $ and $ y = (2.9\pm1.4\pm0.3)\times 10^{-3}$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with previous determinations.
We present a measurement of the branching fraction and fraction of longitudinal polarization of $B^0 \to ρ^+ ρ^-$ decays, which have two $π^0$'s in the final state. We also measure time-dependent {\it CP} violation parameters for decays into longitudinally polarized $ρ^+ ρ^-$ pairs. This analysis is based on a data sample containing $(387\pm6) \times 10^6$ $Υ(4S)$ mesons collected with the Belle~II detector at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider in 2019-2022. We obtain $\mathcal{B}(B^0\toρ^+ρ^-) = (2.89 ^{+0.23}_{-0.22} {}^{+0.29}_{-0.27}) \times 10^{-5}, f_{L} = 0.921 ^{+0.024}_{-0.025} {}^{+0.017}_{-0.015}$, \mbox{$S = -0.26\pm0.19\pm0.08$}, and $C = -0.02\pm0.12^{+0.06}_{-0.05}$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We use these results to perform an isospin analysis to constrain the CKM angle $ϕ_2$ and obtain two solutions; the result consistent with other Standard Model constraints is $ϕ_2 = (92.6^{+4.5}_{-4.7})^\circ$.
We present the results of a search for charged-lepton-flavor violating decays $τ^{-} \rightarrow \ell^{-}K_{S}^{0}$, where $\ell^{-}$ is either an electron or a muon. We combine $e^+e^-$ data samples recorded by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider (428 fb$^{-1}$) with samples recorded by the Belle experiment at the KEKB collider (980 fb$^{-1}$) to obtain a sample of 1.3 billion $e^+e^-\toτ^+τ^-$ events. We observe 0 and 1 events and set $90\%$ confidence level upper limits of $0.8 \times 10^{-8}$ and $1.2 \times 10^{-8}$ on the branching fractions of the decay modes $τ^{-} \rightarrow e^{-}K_{S}^{0}$ and $τ^{-} \rightarrow μ^{-}K_{S}^{0}$, respectively. These are the most stringent upper limits to date.
We present a search for the rare flavor-changing neutral-current decay $B^0 \to K^{\ast 0} τ^+ τ^-$ with data collected by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider. The analysis uses a 365 fb$^{-1}$ data sample recorded at the center-of-mass energy of the $Υ(4S)$ resonance. One of the $B$ mesons produced in the $Υ(4S)\to B^0 \bar{B}^0$ process is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode, while its companion $B$ meson is required to decay into a $K^{\ast 0}$ and two $τ$ leptons of opposite charge. The $τ$ leptons are reconstructed in final states with a single electron, muon, charged pion or charged $ρ$ meson, and additional neutrinos. We set an upper limit on the branching ratio of $BR(B^0 \to K^{\ast 0} τ^+ τ^-) < 1.8 \times 10^{-3}$ at the 90% confidence level, which is the most stringent constraint reported to date.