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M. Baalouch

Publications and source records attributed to M. Baalouch.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

Measurement of the $\bar{B}_s^0\to D_s^-D_s^+$ and $\bar{B}_s^0\to D^-D_s^+$ effective lifetimes

The first measurement of the effective lifetime of the $\bar{B}_s^0$ meson in the decay $\bar{B}_s^0\to D_s^-D_s^+$ is reported using a proton-proton collision dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment. The measured value of the $\bar{B}_s^0\to D_s^-D_s^+$ effective lifetime is $1.379\pm0.026\pm0.017$ ps, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. This lifetime translates into a measurement of the decay width of the light $\bar{B}_s^0$ mass eigenstate of Γ_L$=0.725\pm0.014\pm0.009$ ps$^{-1}$. The $\bar{B}_s^0$ lifetime is also measured using the flavor-specific $\bar{B}_s^0\to D^-D_s^+$ decay to be $1.52\pm0.15\pm0.01 {\rm ps}$.

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Studies of beauty baryon decays to $D^0 p h^-$ and $Λ_c^+ h^-$ final states

Decays of beauty baryons to the $D^0 p h^-$ and $Λ_c^+ h^-$ final states (where $h$ indicates a pion or a kaon) are studied using a data sample of $pp$ collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb detector. The Cabibbo-suppressed decays $Λ_b^0\to D^0 p K^-$ and $Λ_b^0\to Λ_c^+ K^-$ are observed and their branching fractions are measured with respect to the decays $Λ_b^0\to D^0 p π^-$ and $Λ_b^0\to Λ_c^+ π^-$. In addition, the first observation is reported of the decay of the neutral beauty-strange baryon $Ξ_b^0$ to the $D^0 p K^-$ final state, and a measurement of the $Ξ_b^0$ mass is performed. Evidence of the $Ξ_b^0\to Λ_c^+ K^-$ decay is also reported.

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First measurement of time-dependent CP violation in Bs -> K+K- decays

Direct and mixing-induced CP-violating asymmetries in Bs -> K+K- decays are measured for the first time using a data sample of pp collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb^{-1}, collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The results are C_{KK} = 0.14 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.03 and S_{KK} = 0.30 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.04, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The corresponding quantities are also determined for B0 -> pi+pi- decays to be C_{pipi} = -0.38 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.02 and S_{pipi} = -0.71 \pm 0.13 \pm 0.02, in good agreement with existing measurements.

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Observation of the decay Bc+ -> Bs0 pi+

The result of a search for the decay Bc+ -> Bs0 pi+ is presented, using the Bs0 -> Ds- pi+ and Bs0 -> J/psi Phi channels. The analysis is based on a data sample of pp collisions collected with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1 fb-1 taken at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, and 2 fb-1 taken at 8 TeV. The decay Bc+ -> Bs0 pi+ is observed with significance in excess of five standard deviations independently in both decay channels. The measured product of the ratio of cross-sections and branching fraction is sigma(Bc+)/sigma(Bs0) x BR(Bc+ -> Bs0 pi+) = (2.37 \pm 0.31 (stat) \pm 0.11 (syst)^{+0.17}_{-0.13} (tau_Bc)) x 10^-3 in the pseudorapidity range 2 < eta(B) < 5, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is due to the uncertainty on the Bc lifetime. This is the first observation of a B meson decaying to another B meson via the weak interaction.

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Study of $B_{(s)}^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 h^{+} h^{\prime -}$ decays with first observation of $B_{s}^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{\pm} π^{\mp}$ and $B_{s}^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-}$

A search for charmless three-body decays of $B^0$ and $B_{s}^0$ mesons with a $K_{\rm S}^0$ meson in the final state is performed using the $pp$ collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\mbox{fb}^{-1}$, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of $7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. Branching fractions of the $B_{(s)}^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 h^{+} h^{\prime -}$ decay modes ($h^{(\prime)} = π, K$), relative to the well measured $B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-}$ decay, are obtained. First observation of the decay modes $B_s^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{\pm} π^{\mp}$ and $B_s^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-}$ and confirmation of the decay $B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{\pm} π^{\mp}$ are reported. The following relative branching fraction measurements or limits are obtained \begin{eqnarray*} \nonumber \frac{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{\pm} π^{\mp})}{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-})} &=& 0.128 \pm 0.017 \, ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.009 \, ({\rm syst.}) \,, \\ \nonumber \frac{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{+} K^{-} )}{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-})} &=& 0.385 \pm 0.031 \, ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.023 \, ({\rm syst.}) \,, \\ \nonumber \frac{{\cal B}(B_s^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-} )}{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-})} &=& 0.29\phantom{0} \pm 0.06\phantom{0} \, ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.03\phantom{0} \, ({\rm syst.}) \pm 0.02 \, (f_s/f_d) \,, \\ \nonumber \frac{{\cal B}(B_s^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{\pm} π^{\mp})}{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-})} &=& 1.48\phantom{0} \pm 0.12\phantom{0} \, ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.08\phantom{0} \, ({\rm syst.}) \pm 0.12 \, (f_s/f_d) \,, \\ \nonumber \frac{{\cal B}(B_s^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 K^{+} K^{-} )}{{\cal B}(B^0 \to K_{\rm S}^0 π^{+} π^{-})} &\in& [0.004;0.068] \; {\rm at \;\; 90\% \; CL} \,. \end{eqnarray*}

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Branching fraction and CP asymmetry of the decays $B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 π^+$ and $B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 K^+$

An analysis of $B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 π^+$ and $B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 K^+$ decays is performed with the LHCb experiment. The $pp$ collision data used correspond to integrated luminosities of $1{\,fb}^{-1}$ and $2{\,fb}^{-1}$ collected at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$ and $\sqrt{s}=8\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$, respectively. The ratio of branching fractions and the direct {\it CP} asymmetries are measured to be $\mathcal{B}(B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 K^+)/\mathcal{B}(B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 π^+) = 0.064 \pm 0.009\textrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.004\textrm{(syst.)}$, $\mathcal{A}^{\it CP}(B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 π^+) = -0.022 \pm 0.025\textrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.010\textrm{(syst.)}$ and $\mathcal{A}^{\it CP}(B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 K^+) = -0.21 \pm 0.14\textrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.01\textrm{(syst.)}$. The data sample taken at $\sqrt{s}=7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$ is used to search for $B_c^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 K^+$ decays and results in the upper limit $(f_c\cdot\mathcal{B}(B_c^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 K^+))/(f_u\cdot\mathcal{B}(B^+ \to K_{\rm \scriptscriptstyle S}^0 π^+)) < 5.8\times10^{-2}\textrm{at 90% confidence level}$, where $f_c$ and $f_u$ denote the hadronisation fractions of a $\bar{b}$ quark into a $B_c^+$ or a $B^+$ meson, respectively.

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Study of $D_J$ meson decays to $D^+π^-$, $D^0 π^+$ and $D^{*+}π^-$ final states in pp collision

A study of $D^+π^-$, $D^0 π^+$ and $D^{*+}π^-$ final states is performed using pp collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 $fb^{-1}$, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the LHCb detector. The $D_1(2420)^0$ resonance is observed in the $D^{*+}π^-$ final state and the $D^*_2(2460)$ resonance is observed in the $D^+π^-$, $D^0 π^+$ and $D^{*+}π^-$ final states. For both resonances, their properties and spin-parity assignments are obtained. In addition, two natural parity and two unnatural parity resonances are observed in the mass region between 2500 and 2800 MeV. Further structures in the region around 3000 MeV are observed in all the $D^{*+}π^-$, $D^+π^-$ and $D^0 π^+$ final states.

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Search for the lepton-flavour violating decays $B^0_s \rightarrow e^{\pm}μ^{\mp}$ and $B^0 \rightarrow e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}$

A search for the lepton-flavour violating decays $B^0_s \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}$ and $B^0 \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}$ is performed with a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment. The observed number of $B^0_s \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}$ and $B^0 \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}$ candidates is consistent with background expectations. Upper limits on the branching fractions of both decays are determined to be $BR(B^0_s \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}) < 1.1 \,(1.4) \times 10^{-8}$ and $BR (B^0 \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}) < 2.8 \,(3.7) \times 10^{-9}$ at 90% (95%) confidence level (C.L.). These limits are a factor of twenty lower than those set by previous experiments. Lower bounds on the Pati-Salam leptoquark masses are also calculated, $M_{\rm LQ} (B^0_s \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}) > 107$ TeV/c$^2$ and $M_{\rm LQ} (B^0 \to e^{\pm} μ^{\mp}) > 126$ TeV/c$^2$ at 95% C.L., and are a factor of two higher than the previous bounds.

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First observation of B0->J/ψK+K- and search for B0->J/ψϕ decays

The first observation of the B0->J/ψK+K- decay is presented with a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0/fb of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV collected with the LHCb detector. The branching fraction is measured to be B(B0->J/ψK+K-) = (2.53 +/- 0.31 +/- 0.19)x10^{-6}, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. An amplitude analysis of the final state in the B0->J/ψK+K- decay is performed to separate resonant and nonresonant contributions in the K+K- spectrum. Evidence of the a0(980) resonance is reported with statistical significance of 3.9 standard deviations. The corresponding product branching fraction is measured to be B(B0->J/ψa0(980), a0(980)->K+K-)=(4.70 +/- 3.31 +/- 0.72)x10^{-7}, yielding an upper limit of B(B0->J/ψa0(980), a0(980)->K+K-)<9.0x10^{-7} at 90% confidence level. No evidence of the resonant decay B0->J/ψϕ\; is found, and an upper limit on its branching fraction is set to be B(B0->J/ψϕ)< 1.9x10^{-7} at 90% confidence level.

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Observation of $B^0_s$-$\bar{B}^0_s$ mixing and measurement of mixing frequencies using semileptonic B decays

The $B^0_s$ and $B^0$ mixing frequencies, $Δm_s$ and $Δm_d$, are measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at a centre of mass energy of 7 TeV during 2011. Around 1.8x10^6 candidate events are selected of the type $B^0_{(s)} \to D^-_{(s)} μ^+$ (+ anything), where about half are from peaking and combinatorial backgrounds. To determine the B decay times, a correction is required for the momentum carried by missing particles, which is performed using a simulation-based statistical method. Associated production of muons or mesons allows us to tag the initial-state flavour and so to resolve oscillations due to mixing. We obtain Δm_s = (17.93 \pm 0.22 (stat) \pm 0.15 (syst)) ps^{-1}, Δm_d = (0.503 \pm 0.011 (stat) \pm 0.013 (syst)) ps^{-1}. The hypothesis of no oscillations is rejected by the equivalent of 5.8 standard deviations for $B^0_s$ and 13.0 standard deviations for $B^0$. This is the first observation of $B^0_s$ mixing to be made using only semileptonic decays.

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Measurement of CP violation in the phase space of $B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{+} K^{-} π^{\pm}$ and $B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{+} π^{-} π^{\pm}$ decays

The charmless decays $B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{+}K^{-}π^{\pm}$ and $B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}π^{\pm}$ are reconstructed in a data set, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$ of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, collected by LHCb in 2011. The inclusive charge asymmetries of these modes are measured to be $A_{CP}(B^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{+}K^{-}π^{\pm}) =-0.141 \pm 0.040 (stat) \pm 0.018 (syst) \pm 0.007 (J/ψK^{\pm})$ and $A_{CP}(B^{\pm} \rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}π^{\pm}) = 0.117 \pm 0.021 (stat) \pm 0.009 (syst) \pm 0.007 (J/ψK^{\pm})$, where the third uncertainty is due to the CP asymmetry of the $B^{\pm} \rightarrow J/ψK^{\pm}$ reference mode. In addition to the inclusive CP asymmetries, larger asymmetries are observed in localized regions of phase space.

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Measurement of the $C¶$ asymmetry in $B^+ \rightarrow K^+ μ^+ μ^-$ decays

A measurement of the $C¶$ asymmetry in $B^+ \rightarrow K^+ μ^+ μ^-$ decays is presented using $pp$ collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0${\,fb}^{-1}$, recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The measurement is performed in seven bins of $μ^+ μ^-$ invariant mass squared in the range ${0.05<q^{2}<22.00{\mathrm{GeV^2/}c^4}}$, excluding the ${J/ψ}$ and $ψ{(2S)}$ resonance regions. Production and detection asymmetries are corrected for using the $B^+ \rightarrow J/ψK^+$ decay as a control mode. Averaged over all the bins, the $C¶$ asymmetry is found to be ${{\cal A}_{C¶} = 0.000\pm 0.033{(stat.)} \pm0.005 {(syst.)} \pm 0.007{}(J/ψK^+)}$, where the third uncertainty is due to the $C¶$ asymmetry of the control mode. This is consistent with the Standard Model prediction.

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Measurement of the $B^0_s \to μ^+ μ^-$ branching fraction and search for $B^0 \to μ^+ μ^-$ decays at the LHCb experiment

A search for the rare decays $B^0_s \toμ^+μ^-$ and $B^0 \toμ^+μ^-$ is performed at the LHCb experiment. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and 2 fb$^{-1}$ at 8 TeV. An excess of $B^0_s \toμ^+μ^-$ signal candidates with respect to the background expectation is seen with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations. A time-integrated branching fraction of ${\cal B}(B^0_s \toμ^+μ^-) = (2.9^{+1.1}_{-1.0})\times 10^{-9}$ is obtained and an upper limit of ${\cal B}(B^0 \toμ^+μ^-) < 7.4\times 10^{-10}$ at 95% confidence level is set. These results are consistent with the Standard Model expectations.

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Observation of a resonance in $B^+ \to K^+ μ^+μ^-$ decays at low recoil

A broad peaking structure is observed in the dimuon spectrum of $B^+ \to K^+ μ^+μ^-$ decays in the kinematic region where the kaon has a low recoil against the dimuon system. The structure is consistent with interference between the $B^+ \to K^+ μ^+μ^-$ decay and a resonance and has a statistical significance exceeding six standard deviations. The mean and width of the resonance are measured to be $4191^{+9}_{-8}\mathrm{\,Me\kern -0.1em V/}c^2$ and $65^{+22}_{-16}\mathrm{\,Me\kern -0.1em V/}c^2$, respectively, where the uncertainties include statistical and systematic contributions. These measurements are compatible with the properties of the $ψ(4160)$ meson. First observations of both the decay $B^+ \to ψ(4160) K^+$ and the subsequent decay $ψ(4160) \to μ^+μ^-$ are reported. The resonant decay and the interference contribution make up 20\,% of the yield in the low recoil region, which is larger than theoretical estimates.

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Observation of the decay $B_c \rightarrow J/ψK^+ K^- π^+ $

The decay $B_c\rightarrow J/ψK^+ K^- π^+$ is observed for the first time, using proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb$^{-1}$. A signal yield of $78\pm14$ decays is reported with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. The ratio of the branching fraction of $\B_c \rightarrow J/ψK^+ K^- π^+$ decays to that of $B_c \rightarrow J/ψπ^+$ decays is measured to be $0.53\pm 0.10\pm0.05$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

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Model-independent search for CP violation in D0 to K-K+pi-pi+ and D0 to pi-pi+pi+pi- decays

A search for CP violation in the phase-space structures of D0 and D0bar decays to the final states K-K+pi-pi+ and pi-pi+pi+pi- is presented. The search is carried out with a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0fb^-1 collected in 2011 by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV. For the K-K+pi-pi+ final state, the four-body phase space is divided into 32 bins, each bin with approximately 1800 decays. The p-value under the hypothesis of no CP violation is 9.1%, and in no bin is a CP asymmetry greater than 6.5% observed. The phase space of the pi-pi+pi+pi- final state is partitioned into 128 bins, each bin with approximately 2500 decays. The $p$-value under the hypothesis of no CP violation is 41%, and in no bin is a CP asymmetry greater than 5.5% observed. All results are consistent with the hypothesis of no CP violation at the current sensitivity.

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Measurement of form-factor independent observables in the decay $B^{0} \to K^{*0} μ^+ μ^-$

We present a measurement of form-factor independent angular observables in the decay \mbox{$B^0\to K^{*}(892)^{0}μ^+ μ^-$}. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7TeV. Four observables are measured in six bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, $q^2$, in the range $0.1<q^2<19.0$GeV$^{2}$/c$^{4}$. Agreement with Standard Model predictions is found for 23 of the 24 measurements. A local discrepancy, corresponding to $3.7$ Gaussian standard deviations, is observed in one $q^2$ bin for one of the observables. Considering the 24 measurements as independent, the probability to observe such a discrepancy, or larger, in one is $0.5\%$.

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First evidence for the two-body charmless baryonic decay $B^0 \to p \bar{p}$

The results of a search for the rare two-body charmless baryonic decays $B^0 \to p \bar{p}$ and $B_s^0 \to p \bar{p}$ are reported. The analysis uses a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.9 fb$^{-1}$, of $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. An excess of $B^0 \to p \bar{p}$ candidates with respect to background expectations is seen with a statistical significance of 3.3 standard deviations. This is the first evidence for a two-body charmless baryonic $B^0$ decay. No significant $B_s^0 \to p \bar{p}$ signal is observed, leading to an improvement of three orders of magnitude over previous bounds. If the excess events are interpreted as signal, the 68.3% confidence level intervals on the branching fractions are {eqnarray} \cal{B}(B^0 \to p \bar{p}) & = & (1.47 \,^{+0.62}_{-0.51} \,^{+0.35}_{-0.14}) \times 10^{-8} \,, *{0.3cm} \cal{B}(B_s^0 \to p \bar{p}) & = & (2.84 \,^{+2.03}_{-1.68} \,^{+0.85}_{-0.18}) \times 10^{-8} \,, {eqnarray} where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

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