arXiv subjects

M. Andreotti

Publications and source records attributed to M. Andreotti.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

Associated $Z$ + $J/ψ$ production as a probe of multiparton interactions in the forward region

This letter reports a study of associated $Z$ boson and prompt $J/ψ$ production in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the LHCb detector in the forward rapidity region, using a data sample taken during 2016 to 2018 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.1 \mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. The measured fiducial cross-section is $5.5 \pm 1.5$ pb, significantly exceeding the single-parton scattering expectation of $0.10 \pm 0.08$ pb, indicating that multiparton interactions dominate this process in the explored phase space. Interpreted within the standard double-parton scattering framework, the data yields an effective cross-section $σ_{\mathrm{eff}} = 16.6 \pm 4.7$ mb. This provides a direct experimental constraint on the transverse spatial structure of the proton in a kinematic regime characterized simultaneously by small Bjorken-$x$ and an electroweak hard scale set by the $Z$ boson mass.

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arXiv2026

Measurement of the top-quark production cross-section and charge asymmetry at LHCb

The first measurements of the top- and antitop-quark differential production cross-sections and the top-quark charge asymmetry in the forward region are presented, using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 $fb^{-1}$. The total production cross-sections of top and antitop quarks are also determined. Measurements are performed using the $μ+b\text{-jet}$ final state within a fiducial region defined by a $b\text{-jet}$ $p_{\text{T, jet}}>50$ GeV and pseudorapidity $2.2<η_{\text{jet}}<4.0$,, with the muon from the $W$-boson decay required to have $p_{\text{T},μ}>25$ GeV and pseudorapidity $2.0<η_μ<4.5$. The muon and $b$-jet system must satisfy $p_{T}(μ+\text{jet}) > 20$ GeV. The measured integrated production cross-sections for the top and antitop quarks are $σ_{t} = 0.95 \pm 0.04 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.02$ pb, $σ_{\bar{t}} = 0.81 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.07 \pm 0.02$ pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third accounts for the luminosity uncertainty. The top-quark charge asymmetry is measured to be $A_C^{t} = 0.08 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.01$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. These results are consistent with next-to-leading-order Standard Model predictions.

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arXiv2026

Probing the nature of the $χ_{c1}(3872)$ state using radiative decays

The radiative decays $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrowψ(2S)γ$ and $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J/ψγ$ are used to probe the~nature of the~$χ_{c1}(3872)$ state using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an~integrated luminosity of~9fb$^{-1}$. Using the~$B^+\rightarrow χ_{c1}(3872)K^+$decay, the $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow ψ(2S)γ$ process is observed for the first time and the ratio of its partial width to that of the $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J/ψγ$ decay is measured to be $$ \frac{Γ_{χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow ψ(2S)γ}} {Γ_{χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J/ψγ}} = 1.67 \pm 0.21 \pm 0.12 \pm0.04 , $$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is due to the uncertainties on the branching fractions of the $ψ(2S)$ and $J/ψ$ mesons. The measured ratio makes the interpretation of the $χ_{c1}(3872)$ state as a~pure $D^0\bar{D}^{*0}+\bar{D}^0D^{*0}$ molecule questionable and strongly indicates a sizeable compact charmonium or tetraquark component within the $χ_{c1}(3872)$ state.

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arXiv2026

First Measurement of $π^+$-Ar and $p$-Ar Total Inelastic Cross Sections in the Sub-GeV Energy Regime with ProtoDUNE-SP Data

The ProtoDUNE-SP detector, a kiloton-scale prototype for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) far detector, is the largest liquid argon time projection chamber built to date. Operated at CERN from 2018 to 2020, it collected both cosmic-ray data and a beam consisting of positively-charged particles with discrete momentum settings across a range of 0.3 GeV/$c$ to 7 GeV/$c$. In this letter, we report the total inelastic cross section measurements for $π^+$--Ar and $p$--Ar interactions using selected $π^+$ and proton samples from the 1 GeV/$c$ beam data, spanning kinetic energies of 500--900~MeV and below 450~MeV, respectively. These energy ranges are directly relevant to hadrons produced in DUNE. The measured cross sections are consistent with predictions and provide a dataset that was previously unavailable for argon targets. These measurements are essential for constraining neutrino-argon interaction models and achieving the precision physics goals of the upcoming DUNE experiment.

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arXiv2026

Study of nuclear effects on charm production in light-ion collisions

The onset of nuclear effects in light-ion collisions is studied by measuring the ratio of $D^0$ meson production between NeNe and OO collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $5.36\,{\rm TeV}$ recorded by the LHCb detector. The $D^0$ meson yields are measured differentially in transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) for $0.5<p_{\rm T}<20\,{\rm GeV}$ in the rapidity ($y$) region $2.0<y<4.5$, and are normalized to the total number of recorded inelastic nucleus-nucleus collisions in each data sample. The resulting production ratio shows evidence of variation as a function of $p_{\rm T}$, which is inconsistent with predictions based on nuclear modification of nucleon structure alone. This measurement is consistent with the onset of quark-gluon plasma production with increasing nucleus size in high-energy nuclear collisions.

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arXiv2026

Search for lepton-number-violating $B^-\to D^{(*)+}μ^-μ^-$ decays

A search is performed for lepton-number-violating $B^-\to D^{(*)+}μ^-μ^-$ decays, using data collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb$^{-1}$. No significant signal is observed, and upper limits are set on the branching fractions, ${\cal B}(B^-\to D^{+}μ^-μ^-) < 4.6 \times 10^{-8}$ and ${\cal B}(B^-\to D^{*+}μ^-μ^-) < 5.9 \times 10^{-8}$, at the 95% confidence level.

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arXiv2026

Amplitude analysis of $B^0 \rightarrow η_c(1S) K^+ π^- $ decays

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.

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arXiv2026

Measurement of the branching fractions and longitudinal polarisations of $B^0_{(s)} \to K^{0} \kern 0.18em \overline{\kern -0.18em K}{}^{0}$ decays

A time- and flavour-integrated amplitude analysis of $B^0$ and $B^0_s$ decays to the $(K^+π^-)(K^-π^+)$ final state in the $K^*(892)^0 \kern 0.18em \overline{\kern -0.18em K}{}^{*}(892)^0$ region is presented, using $pp$ collision data recorded with the LHCb detector in 2011--2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\,\text{fb}^{-1}$. The branching fractions of the $B^0$ and $B^0_s$ decays are measured relative to the $B^0 \to D^-π^+$ and $B^0_s \to D^-_s π^+$ modes, respectively. The corresponding longitudinal polarisation fractions are found to be $f_L^{d} = 0.600 \pm 0.022 \pm 0.017$ and $f_L^{s} = 0.159 \pm 0.010 \pm 0.007$, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The theory-motivated ratio of the squared $B^0_s$ to $B^0$ longitudinally polarised decay amplitudes is found to be $L_{K^{*0} \kern 0.18em \overline{\kern -0.18em K}{}^{*0}} = 4.92 \pm 0.55 \pm 0.48 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.10$, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, due to uncertainty of external mass and lifetime measurements, and due to knowledge of the fragmentation fraction ratio, respectively. This confirms the previously reported tension between experimental determinations and theoretical predictions of longitudinal polarisation in $B \to VV$ decays at the level of 4.4 standard deviations.

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arXiv2026

Searches for $B^0\to K^+π^-τ^+τ^-$ and $B_s^0\to K^+K^-τ^+τ^-$ decays

The first searches for $B^0\to K^+π^-τ^+τ^-$ and $B^0_s\to K^+K^-τ^+τ^-$ decays at the LHCb experiment are conducted with $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\textrm{ fb}^{-1}$. The tau leptons are reconstructed using the $τ^+\to μ^+\overlineν_τν_μ$ decay and the results are presented in bins of $K^+π^-$ or $K^+K^-$ mass. No signal is observed and upper limits are set on the branching fractions. The searches result in the first upper limits for $B^0\to K^+π^-τ^+τ^-$ decays outside the $K^*(892)^0$ region in $K^+π^-$ mass and the first limits for $B^0_s\to K^+K^-τ^+τ^-$ decays. The searches are recast into limits on the decays $B^0\to K^*(892)^0τ^+τ^-$ and $B^0_s\to ϕ(1020)τ^+τ^-$, yielding $2.8\times10^{-4}$ ($2.5\times10^{-4}$) and $4.7\times10^{-4}$ ($4.1\times10^{-4}$) at the $95\%$ ($90\%$) confidence level, respectively. For the decay $B^0\to K^*(892)^0τ^+τ^-$, this result improves on the current best upper limit by an order of magnitude.

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arXiv2026

Search for $K_{\mathrm{S(L)}}^{0} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-}$ decays at LHCb

A search for $K_{\mathrm{S(L)}}^{0} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-}$ decays is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of $13\,\mathrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\,\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$. No $K_{\mathrm{S(L)}}^{0} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-}$ signals are found and upper limits are set for the first time on the branching fractions $\mathcal{B}(K_\text{S}^{0} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-}) < 1.4 \times 10^{-9}$ and $\mathcal{B}(K_\text{L}^{0} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}μ^{+}μ^{-}) < 6.6 \times 10^{-7}$, at the 90% confidence level.

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arXiv2026

Observation of the decay $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J\mskip -3mu/\mskip -2muψμ^+μ^-$

The first observation of the $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J\mskip -3mu/\mskip -2muψμ^+μ^-$ decay is reported using proton-proton collision data recorded with the LHCb detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9fb^{-1}$. The decay mode is observed for the first time, with a significance of $6.5σ$. Its branching fraction is measured relative to the $χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J\mskip -3mu/\mskip -2muψπ^+π^-$ decay mode \begin{align*} \frac{\cal{BF}(χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J\mskip -3mu/\mskip -2muψμ^+μ^-)}{\cal{BF}(χ_{c1}(3872)\rightarrow J\mskip -3mu/\mskip -2muψπ^+π^-)} = \left(1.68\pm 0.32\pm 0.05\right)\times10^{-3}, \end{align*} where the first uncertainty includes both statistical contributions and systematic contributions which are uncorrelated between data-taking periods, and the second represents the systematic contributions that are correlated between data-taking periods.

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arXiv2026

First evidence of the decay $B^+\toπ^+ e^+ e^-$

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.

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arXiv2026

First evidence of the $B_s^0\rightarrow K^-π^+γ$ decay

The first search for the $B_s^0\rightarrow K^-π^+γ$ decay in the range $796<m(K^-π^+)<1800\,\text{MeV/}c^2$ is performed using data from proton-proton collisions 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 photons are reconstructed through their conversion into an electron-positron pair, which significantly improves the mass resolution of the reconstructed decays with respect to decays with an unconverted photon. A signal excess with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations is measured, constituting the first experimental evidence for this decay. In the range $796<m(K^-π^+)<996\,\text{MeV/}c^2$, the ratio ${\cal R}$ between the branching fractions of the signal decay and the favoured $\kern 0.18em\overline{\kern -0.18em B}{}^0\rightarrow K^- π^+γ$ decay is measured to be ${\cal R} = (3.7\pm1.2\pm0.4)\times10^{-2}$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This measurement is consistent with the value predicted in the Standard Model. In the range $996<m(K^-π^+)<1800\,\text{MeV/}c^2$, the ratio ${\cal R} = (0.2\pm2.7\pm1.3)\times10^{-2}$ is measured.

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arXiv2026

Observation of a new excited charm-strange meson $D_{s1}(2933)^+$ in $B^0\to D^+ D^- K^+ π^-$ decays

A new excited charm-strange meson is observed through an amplitude analysis of the full phase space of $B^0\to D^+ D^- K^+ π^-$ decays. The analysis is based on a proton-proton collision data sample collected by the \lhcb experiment at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\text{fb}^{-1}$. The statistical significance of the new state exceeds $10$ standard deviations. Its Breit--Wigner mass and width are measured to be $m_0 = {2933}^{+6}_{-5}(\text{stat})^{+4}_{-3}(\text{syst}) \,\text{MeV} $ and $Γ_0 = {72}^{+18}_{-12}(\text{stat})^{+\phantom{0}7}_{-10}(\text{syst}) \,\text{MeV} $, respectively, and its spin-parity quantum numbers are determined to be $J^P = 1^+$. This new meson, denoted as $D_{s1}(2933)^+$, is a candidate for a $D_s(2P^{(\prime)}_{1})^+$ state.

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arXiv2026

Measurement of charged-hadron distributions in heavy-flavor jets in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV

Charged-hadron distributions in heavy-flavor jets are measured in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected by the LHCb experiment. Distributions of the longitudinal momentum fraction, transverse momentum, and radial profile of charged hadrons are measured separately in beauty and charm jets. The distributions are compared to those previously measured by the LHCb collaboration in jets produced back-to-back with a $Z$ boson, which in the forward region are primarily light-quark-initiated, to compare the hadronization mechanisms of heavy and light quarks. The observed differences between the heavy- and light-jet distributions are consistent with the heavy-quark dynamics expected to arise from the dead-cone effect, as well as with a hard fragmentation of the heavy-flavor hadron as previously measured in single-hadron fragmentation functions. This measurement provides additional constraints for the extraction of collinear and transverse-momentum-dependent heavy-flavor fragmentation functions and offers another approach to probing the mechanisms that govern heavy-flavor hadronization.

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arXiv2026

Precision measurement of CP violation and branching fractions in $B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} h^{\pm}$ $(h = π, K)$ decays and search for the rare decay $B_c^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm}$

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 branching fraction ratio ${\cal B}(B_c^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm})/{\cal B}(B^{\pm} \to K^0_{\mathrm{S}} π^{\pm})$ and the fragmentation-fraction ratio $f_c/f_u$ is set to be 0.015 (0.016) at the 90\% (95\%) confidence level.

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arXiv2026

Branching fraction measurement of the $\mathitΛ \to p μ^- \overlineν_μ$ decay

A measurement of the branching fraction for the decay $\mathitΛ \to p μ^- \overlineν_μ$ is presented using $\textit{pp}$ collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The analysis is based on data recorded between 2016 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4 \ \text{fb}^{-1}$. The result is obtained using $\mathitΛ \to p π^-$ decays as a normalisation channel. The measured branching fraction is $B(\mathitΛ \to p μ^- \overlineν_μ)= (1.462 \pm 0.016 \pm 0.100 \pm 0.011 ) \times 10^{-4}$, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the limited knowledge of the normalisation mode branching fraction, respectively. This result improves the precision of the branching fraction measurement by a factor of two compared to the previous best measurement and sets a more stringent bound on lepton flavour universality in $s \to u$ quark transitions. It is consistent with previous measurements, and the extracted lepton flavour universality test observable, $R^{μe} = \frac{Γ(\mathitΛ \to p μ^- \overlineν_μ)}{Γ(\mathitΛ \to p e^- \overlineν_e)} = 0.175 \pm 0.012$, agrees with the Standard Model prediction.

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arXiv2026

Measurement of inclusive production of charmonium states in $b$-hadron decays via their decay into $ϕϕ$

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 $M_{η_c(1S)} = 2984.1 \pm 0.5 \pm 0.5$ MeV with the best precision to date.

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