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L. Carson

Publications and source records attributed to L. Carson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2015

Measurement of forward $\rm Z\rightarrow e^+e^-$ production at $\sqrt{s}=8$TeV

A measurement of the cross-section for Z-boson production in the forward region of pp collisions at 8TeV centre-of-mass energy is presented. The measurement is based on a sample of $\rm Z\rightarrow e^+e^-$ decays reconstructed using the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0fb$^{-1}$. The acceptance is defined by the requirements $2.0<η<4.5$ and $p_{\rm T}>20$GeV for the pseudorapidities and transverse momenta of the leptons. Their invariant mass is required to lie in the range 60--120GeV. The cross-section is determined to be $$ σ({\rm pp\to Z\to e^+e^-})=93.81\pm0.41({\rm stat})\pm1.48({\rm syst})\pm1.14({\rm lumi})\;{\rm pb}\,,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second reflects all systematic effects apart from that arising from the luminosity, which is given as the third uncertainty. Differential cross-sections are presented as functions of the Z-boson rapidity and of the angular variable $ϕ^*$, which is related to the Z-boson transverse momentum.

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arXiv2015

Search for long-lived particles decaying to jet pairs

A search is presented for long-lived particles with a mass between 25 and 50 GeV$/c^2$ and a lifetime between 1 and 200 ps in a sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.62 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb detector. The particles are assumed to be pair-produced by the decay of a Standard Model-like Higgs boson. The experimental signature of the long-lived particle is a displaced vertex with two associated jets. No excess above the background is observed and limits are set on the production cross-section as a function of the long-lived particle mass and lifetime.

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arXiv2015

Precise measurements of the properties of the B_1(5721)^(0,+) and B_2*(5747)^(0,+) states and observation of B^(+,0) pi^(-,+) mass structures

Invariant mass distributions of B+pi- and B0pi+ combinations are investigated in order to study excited B mesons. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to 3.0 fb-1 of pp collision data, recorded by the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Precise measurements of the masses and widths of the B_1(5721)^(0,+) and B_2*(5747)^(0,+) states are reported. Clear enhancements, particularly prominent at high pion transverse momentum, are seen over background in the mass range 5850--6000 MeV in both B+pi- and B0pi+ combinations. The structures are consistent with the presence of four excited B mesons, labelled B_J(5840)^(0,+) and B_J(5960)^(0,+), whose masses and widths are obtained under different hypotheses for their quantum numbers.

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arXiv2015

Angular analysis of the $B^0 \rightarrow K^{*0} e^+ e^-$ decay in the low-$q^2$ region

An angular analysis of the $B^0 \rightarrow K^{*0} e^+ e^-$ decay is performed using a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 ${\mbox{fb}^{-1}}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV during 2011 and 2012. For the first time several observables are measured in the dielectron mass squared ($q^2$) interval between 0.002 and 1.120${\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V^2\!/}c^4}$. The angular observables $F_{\mathrm{L}}$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Re}}$ which are related to the $K^{*0}$ polarisation and to the lepton forward-backward asymmetry, are measured to be $F_{\mathrm{L}}= 0.16 \pm 0.06 \pm0.03$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Re}} = 0.10 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.05$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The angular observables $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{(2)}$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Im}}$ which are sensitive to the photon polarisation in this $q^2$ range, are found to be $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{(2)} = -0.23 \pm 0.23 \pm 0.05$ and $A_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Im}} =0.14 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.05$. The results are consistent with Standard Model predictions.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of indirect $CP$ asymmetries in $D^0\rightarrow K^-K^+$ and $D^0\rightarrow π^-π^+$ decays using semileptonic $B$ decays

Time-dependent $CP$ asymmetries in the decay rates of the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays $D^0\rightarrow K^-K^+$ and $D^0\rightarrow π^-π^+$ are measured in $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. The $D^0$ mesons are produced in semileptonic $b$-hadron decays, where the charge of the accompanying muon is used to determine the initial state as $D^0$ or $\bar{D}^0$. The asymmetries in effective lifetimes between $D^0$ and $\bar{D}^0$ decays, which are sensitive to indirect $CP$ violation, are determined to be \begin{align*} A_Γ(K^-K^+) = (-0.134 \pm 0.077 \; {}^{+0.026}_{-0.034})\% \, A_Γ(π^-π^+) = (-0.092\pm 0.145 \; {}^{+0.025}_{-0.033})\% \, \end{align*} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. This result is in agreement with previous measurements and with the hypothesis of no indirect $CP$ violation in $D^0$ decays.

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arXiv2015

Search for the lepton flavour violating decay $τ^-\to μ^-μ^+μ^-$

A search for the lepton flavour violating decay $τ^-\to μ^-μ^+μ^-$ is performed with the LHCb experiment. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $1.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$ and $2.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ at $8\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$. No evidence is found for a signal, and a limit is set at $90\%$ confidence level on the branching fraction, $\mathcal{B}(τ^-\to μ^-μ^+μ^-) < 4.6 \times 10^{-8}$.

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arXiv2015

Study of the rare $B_s^0$ and $B^0$ decays into the $π^+π^-μ^+μ^-$ final state

A search for the rare decays $B_s^0 \to π^+π^-μ^+μ^-$ and $B^0 \to π^+π^-μ^+μ^-$ is performed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Decay candidates with pion pairs that have invariant mass in the range 0.5-1.3 GeV/$c^2$ and with muon pairs that do not originate from a resonance are considered. The first observation of the decay $B_s^0 \to π^+π^-μ^+μ^-$ and the first evidence of the decay $B^0 \to π^+π^-μ^+μ^-$ are obtained and the branching fractions, restricted to the dipion-mass range considered, are measured to be $\mathcal{B}(B_s^0 \to π^+π^-μ^+μ^-)=(8.6\pm 1.5\,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.7\,({\rm syst})\pm 0.7\,({\rm norm}))\times 10^{-8}$ and $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to π^+π^-μ^+μ^-)=(2.11\pm 0.51\,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.15\,({\rm syst})\pm 0.16\,({\rm norm}) )\times 10^{-8}$, where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay $B^0\to J/ψ(\to μ^+μ^-)K^*(890)^0(\to K^+π^-)$, used as a normalisation.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of $CP$ violation in $B^0 \rightarrow J/ψK^0_S$ decays

Measurements are presented of the $CP$ violation observables $S$ and $C$ in the decays of $B^0$ and $\overline{B}{}^0$ mesons to the $J/ψK^0_S$ final state. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $3.0\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of $7$ and $8\,\text{TeV}$. The analysis of the time evolution of $41500$ $B^0$ and $\overline{B}{}^0$ decays yields $S = 0.731 \pm 0.035 \, \text{(stat)} \pm 0.020 \,\text{(syst)}$ and $C = -0.038 \pm 0.032 \, \text{(stat)} \pm 0.005\,\text{(syst)}$. In the Standard Model, $S$ equals $\sin(2β)$ to a good level of precision. The values are consistent with the current world averages and with the Standard Model expectations.

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arXiv2015

LHCb Detector Performance

The LHCb detector is a forward spectrometer at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The experiment is designed for precision measurements of CP violation and rare decays of beauty and charm hadrons. In this paper the performance of the various LHCb sub-detectors and the trigger system are described, using data taken from 2010 to 2012. It is shown that the design criteria of the experiment have been met. The excellent performance of the detector has allowed the LHCb collaboration to publish a wide range of physics results, demonstrating LHCb's unique role, both as a heavy flavour experiment and as a general purpose detector in the forward region.

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arXiv2015

Observation of two new $Ξ_b^-$ baryon resonances

Two structures are observed close to the kinematic threshold in the $Ξ_b^0 π^-$ mass spectrum in a sample of proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. In the quark model, two baryonic resonances with quark content $bds$ are expected in this mass region: the spin-parity $J^P = \frac{1}{2}^+$ and $J^P=\frac{3}{2}^+$ states, denoted $Ξ_b^{\prime -}$ and $Ξ_b^{*-}$. Interpreting the structures as these resonances, we measure the mass differences and the width of the heavier state to be $m(Ξ_b^{\prime -}) - m(Ξ_b^0) - m(π^{-}) = 3.653 \pm 0.018 \pm 0.006$ MeV$/c^2$, $m(Ξ_b^{*-}) - m(Ξ_b^0) - m(π^{-}) = 23.96 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.06$ MeV$/c^2$, $Γ(Ξ_b^{*-}) = 1.65 \pm 0.31 \pm 0.10$ MeV, where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The width of the lighter state is consistent with zero, and we place an upper limit of $Γ(Ξ_b^{\prime -}) < 0.08$ MeV at 95% confidence level. Relative production rates of these states are also reported.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of the Z+b-jet cross-section in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7{\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}}$ in the forward region

The associated production of a Z boson or an off-shell photon $γ^*$ with a bottom quark in the forward region is studied using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $7{\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}}$. The Z bosons are reconstructed in the ${\text{Z}/γ^*}\!\rightarrow{μ^{+}μ^{-}}$ final state from muons with a transverse momentum larger than $20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$, while two transverse momentum thresholds are considered for jets ($10{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$ and $20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$). Both muons and jets are reconstructed in the pseudorapidity range $2.0 < η< 4.5$. The results are based on data corresponding to $1.0{\,\mbox{fb}^{-1}}$ recorded in 2011 with the LHCb detector. The measurement of the Z+b-jet cross-section is normalized to the Z+jet cross-section. The measured cross-sections are \begin{equation*} σ(\text{$\text{Z}/γ^*(μ^{+}μ^{-})$+b-jet}) = 295 \pm 60~(\text{stat}) \pm 51~(\text{syst}) \pm 10~(\text{lumi}) {\,\mbox{fb}} \end{equation*} for ${p_{\rm T}}$(jet)$>10{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$, and \begin{equation*} σ(\text{$\text{Z}/γ^*(μ^{+}μ^{-})$+b-jet}) = 128 \pm 36~(\text{stat}) \pm 22~(\text{syst}) \pm 5~(\text{lumi}) {\,\mbox{fb}} \end{equation*} for ${p_{\rm T}}$(jet)$>20{\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V}}$.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of the track reconstruction efficiency at LHCb

The determination of track reconstruction efficiencies at LHCb using $J/ψ\rightarrowμ^{+}μ^{-}$ decays is presented. Efficiencies above $95\%$ are found for the data taking periods in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The ratio of the track reconstruction efficiency of muons in data and simulation is compatible with unity and measured with an uncertainty of $0.8\,\%$ for data taking in 2010, and at a precision of $0.4\,\%$ for data taking in 2011 and 2012. For hadrons an additional $1.4\,\%$ uncertainty due to material interactions is assumed. This result is crucial for accurate cross section and branching fraction measurements in LHCb.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of the semileptonic $CP$ asymmetry in $B^0-\overline{B}{}^0$ mixing

The semileptonic $CP$ asymmetry in $B^0-\overline{B}{}^0$ mixing, $a_{\rm sl}^d$, is measured in proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$, recorded by the LHCb experiment. Semileptonic $B^0$ decays are reconstructed in the inclusive final states $D^-μ^+$ and $D^{*-}μ^+$, where the $D^-$ meson decays into the $K^+π^-π^-$ final state, and the $D^{*-}$ meson into the $\overline{D}{}^0(\rightarrow K^+π^-)π^-$ final state. The asymmetry between the numbers of $D^{(*)-}μ^+$ and $D^{(*)+}μ^-$ decays is measured as a function of the decay time of the $B^0$ mesons. The $CP$ asymmetry is measured to be $a_{\rm sl}^d = (-0.02 \pm 0.19 \pm 0.30)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This is the most precise measurement of $a_{\rm sl}^d$ to date and is consistent with the prediction from the Standard Model.

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arXiv2014

Determination of the branching fractions of $B_{s}^{0} \to D_{s}^{\mp} K^{\pm}$ and $B^{0} \to D_{s}^{-} K^{+}$

Measurements are presented of the branching fractions of the decays $B_{s}^{0} \to D_{s}^{\mp} K^{\pm}$ and $B^{0} \to D_{s}^{-} K^{+}$ relative to the decays $B_{s}^{0} \to D_{s}^{-} π^{+}$ and $B^{0} \to D^{-} π^{+}$, respectively. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions. The ratios of branching fractions are $\dfrac{\mathcal{B}(B_{s}^{0} \to D_{s}^{\mp} K^{\pm})}{\mathcal{B}(B_{s}^{0} \to D_{s}^{-} π^{+})} = 0.0752 \pm 0.0015 \pm 0.0019$ and $\dfrac{\mathcal{B}(B^{0} \to D_{s}^{-} K^{+})}{\mathcal{B}(B^{0} \to D^{-} π^{+})} = 0.0129 \pm 0.0005 \pm 0.0008,$ where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

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arXiv2014

Determination of gamma and -2beta_s from charmless two-body decays of beauty mesons

Using the latest LHCb measurements of time-dependent CP violation in the B^0_s -> K^+K^- decay, a U-spin relation between the decay amplitudes of B^0_s -> K^+K^- and B^0 -> π^+π^- decay processes allows constraints to be placed on the angle gamma of the unitarity triangle and on the B^0_s mixing phase -2β_s. Results from an extended approach, which uses additional inputs on B^0 -> π^0π^0 and B^+ -> π^+π^0 decays from other experiments and exploits isospin symmetry, are also presented. The dependence of the results on the maximum allowed amount of U-spin breaking is studied. At 68% probability, the value γ= ( 63.5 +7.2 -6.7 ) degrees modulo 180 degrees is determined. In an alternative analysis, the value -2β_s = -0.12 +0.14 -0.16 rad is found. In both measurements, the uncertainties due to U-spin breaking effects up to 50% are included.

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arXiv2014

Measurement of the CP-violating phase $β$ in $B^0\rightarrow J/ψπ^+π^-$ decays and limits on penguin effects

Time-dependent CP violation is measured in the $B^0\rightarrow J/ψπ^+π^-$ channel for each $π^+π^-$ resonant final state using data collected with an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ in $pp$ collisions using the LHCb detector. The final state with the largest rate, $J/ψρ^0(770)$, is used to measure the CP-violating angle $2β^{\rm eff}$ to be $(41.7\pm 9.6_{-6.3}^{+2.8})^{\circ}$. This result can be used to limit the size of penguin amplitude contributions to CP violation measurements in, for example, $B_s^0\rightarrow J/ψϕ$ decays. Assuming approximate SU(3) flavour symmetry and neglecting higher order diagrams, the shift in the CP-violating phase $ϕ_s$ is limited to be within the interval [$-1.05^\circ$, +$1.18^\circ$] at 95% confidence level. Changes to the limit due to SU(3) symmetry breaking effects are also discussed.

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arXiv2014

Measurement of the forward $W$ boson cross-section in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7 {\rm \, TeV}$

A measurement of the inclusive $W \to μν$ production cross-section using data from $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7 {\rm \, TeV}$ is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of about $1.0 {\rm \, fb}^{-1}$ recorded with the LHCb detector. Results are reported for muons with a transverse momentum greater than $20 {\rm \, Ge\kern -0.1em V\!/}c$ and pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The $W^{+}$ and $W^{-}$ production cross-sections are measured to be $$σ_{W^{+} \to μ^{+}ν} = 861.0 \pm 2.0 \pm 11.2 \pm 14.7 {\rm \, pb},$$ $$σ_{W^{-} \to μ^{-}\overlineν} = 675.8 \pm 1.9 \pm 8.8 \pm 11.6 {\rm \, pb},$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is due to the luminosity determination. Cross-section ratios and differential distributions as functions of the muon pseudorapidity are also presented. The ratio of $W^{+}$ to $W^{-}$ cross-sections in the same fiducial kinematic region is determined to be $$\frac{σ_{W^{+} \to μ^{+}ν}}{σ_{W^{-} \to μ^{-}\overlineν}} = 1.274 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.009,$$ where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. Results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

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arXiv2014

Measurements of $C\!P$ violation in the three-body phase space of charmless $B^{\pm}$ decays

The charmless three-body decay modes $B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{\pm} π^{+} π^{-}$, $B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{\pm} K^{+} K^{-}$, $B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{\pm} K^{+} K^{-}$ and $B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{\pm} π^{+} π^{-}$ are reconstructed using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0\;$\mbox{\,fb}^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb detector. The inclusive $C\!P$ asymmetries of these modes are measured to be $$ A_{C\!P}(B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{\pm} π^{+} π^{-})= +0.025 \pm 0.004 \pm 0.004 \pm 0.007 \\ A_{C\!P}(B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{\pm} K^{+} K^{-}) = -0.036 \pm 0.004 \pm 0.002 \pm 0.007 \\ A_{C\!P}(B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{\pm} π^{+} π^{-})= +0.058 \pm 0.008 \pm 0.009 \pm 0.007 \\ A_{C\!P}(B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{\pm} K^{+} K^{-})= -0.123 \pm 0.017 \pm 0.012 \pm 0.007 $$ %% where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third is due to the $C\!P$ asymmetry of the $B^{\pm} \rightarrow J/ψK^{\pm}$ reference mode. The distributions of these asymmetries are also studied as functions of position in the Dalitz plot and suggest contributions from rescattering and resonance interference processes.

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