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T. Blake

Publications and source records attributed to T. Blake.

At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources

Measurement of prompt hadron production ratios in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 0.9 and 7 TeV

The charged-particle production ratios $\bar{p}/p$, $K^-/K^+$, $π^-/π^+$, $(p + \bar{p})/(π^+ + π^-)$, $(K^+ + K^-)/(π^+ + π^-)$ and $(p + \bar{p})/(K^+ + K^-)$ are measured with the LHCb detector using $0.3 {\rm nb^{-1}}$ of $pp$ collisions delivered by the LHC at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$ TeV and $1.8 {\rm nb^{-1}}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV. The measurements are performed as a function of transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}$ and pseudorapidity $η$. The production ratios are compared to the predictions of several Monte Carlo generator settings, none of which are able to describe adequately all observables. The ratio $\bar{p}/p$ is also considered as a function of rapidity loss, $Δy \equiv y_{\rm beam} - y$, and is used to constrain models of baryon transport.

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Performance of the LHCb RICH detector at the LHC

The LHCb experiment has been taking data at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN since the end of 2009. One of its key detector components is the Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) system. This provides charged particle identification over a wide momentum range, from 2-100 GeV/c. The operation and control software, and online monitoring of the RICH system are described. The particle identification performance is presented, as measured using data from the LHC. Excellent separation of hadronic particle types (pion, kaon and proton) is achieved.

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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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Measurement of the polarisation amplitudes in B0 -> J/psi K*(892)0 decays

An analysis of the decay B0 -> J/psi K*(892)0 is presented using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0fb^-1, collected in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV with the LHCb detector. The polarisation amplitudes and the corresponding phases are measured to be |A_{\parallel}|^2 = 0.227 +- 0.004 (stat.) +- 0.011 (syst.), |A_{\perp}|^2 = 0.201 +- 0.004 (stat.) +- 0.008 (syst.), δ_{\parallel} [rad] = -2.94 +- 0.02 (stat.) +- 0.03 (syst.), δ_{\perp} [rad] = 2.94 +- 0.02 (stat.) +- 0.02 (syst.). Comparing B0 -> J/psi K*(892)0 and \bar{B}0 -> J/psi \bar{K}*(892)0 decays, no evidence for direct CP violation is found.

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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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Precision measurement of the Lambda_b baryon lifetime

The ratio of the Λb baryon lifetime to that of the B0 meson is measured using 1.0/fb of integrated luminosity in 7 TeV center-of-mass energy pp collisions at the LHC. The Λb baryon is observed for the first time in the decay mode Λb -> J/ψpK-, while the B0 meson decay used is the well known B0 -> J/ψpi+K- mode, where the pi+ K- mass is consistent with that of the K*0(892) meson. The ratio of lifetimes is measured to be 0.976 +/- 0.012 +/- 0.006, in agreement with theoretical expectations based on the heavy quark expansion. Using previous determinations of the B0 meson lifetime, the Λb lifetime is found to be 1.482 +/- 0.018 +/- 0.012 ps. In both cases the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.

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Studies of the decays $B^+ \to p \bar p h^+$ and observation of $B^+ \to \kern 0.1em\bar{\kern -0.1emΛ}(1520)p$

Dynamics and direct $C¶$ violation in three-body charmless decays of charged $B$ mesons to a proton, an antiproton and a light meson (pion or kaon) are studied using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0$ {\,fb}^{-1}$, collected by the ${LHCb}$ experiment in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. Production spectra are determined as a function of Dalitz-plot and helicity variables. The forward-backward asymmetry of the light meson in the $p\bar p$ rest frame is measured. No significant $C¶$ asymmetry in $B^+ \to p \bar p K^+$ decay is found in any region of the Dalitz plane. We present the first observation of the decay $B^+ \to \kern 0.1em\bar{\kern -0.1emΛ}(1520)(\to K^+\bar p)p$ near the $K^+\bar p$ threshold and measure $\mathcal{B}(B^+ \to \kern 0.1em\bar{\kern -0.1emΛ}(1520)p)=(3.9^{+1.0}_{-0.9} (\mathrm{stat})\pm0.1 (\mathrm{syst})\pm0.3 (\mathrm{BF}))\times 10^{-7}$, where BF denotes the uncertainty on secondary branching fractions.

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Measurements of the branching fractions of $B^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+}$ decays

The branching fractions of the decay $B^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+}$ for different intermediate states are measured using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1.0 fb^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment. The total branching fraction, its charmless component $(M_{p\bar p} <2.85 {GeV/}c^{2})$ and the branching fractions via the resonant $c\bar c$ states $η_{c}(1S)$ and $ψ(2S)$ relative to the decay via a $J/ψ$ intermediate state are {align*} \frac{{\mathcal B}(B^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})_{total}}{{\mathcal B}(B^{+} \to J/ψK^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})}=& \, 4.91 \pm 0.19 \, {(\rm stat)} \pm 0.14 \, {(\rm syst)}, \frac{{\mathcal B}(B^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})_{M_{p\bar p} <2.85 {GeV/}c^{2}}}{{\mathcal B}(B^{+} \to J/ψK^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})}=& \, 2.02 \pm 0.10 \, {(\rm stat)}\pm 0.08 \, {(\rm syst)}, \frac{{\mathcal B} (B^{+} \to η_{c}(1S) K^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})}{{\mathcal B}(B^{+} \to J/ψK^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})} = & \, 0.578 \pm 0.035 \, {(\rm stat)} \pm 0.027 \, {(\rm syst)}, \frac{{\mathcal B} (B^{+} \to ψ(2S) K^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})}{{\mathcal B}(B^{+} \to J/ψK^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+})}=& \, 0.080 \pm 0.012 \, {(\rm stat)} \pm 0.009 \, {(\rm syst)}. {align*} Upper limits on the $B^{+}$ branching fractions into the $η_{c}(2S)$ meson and into the charmonium-like states X(3872) and X(3915) are also obtained.

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Observation of $B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^+$ and $B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^{*+}$ decays

The decays $B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^+$ and $B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^{*+}$ are observed for the first time using a dataset, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3$fb^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$=7 and 8 TeV. The statistical significance for both signals is in excess of 9 standard deviations. The following ratios of branching fractions are measured to be $BR(B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^+)/BR(B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψπ+) = 2.90 \pm 0.57 \pm 0.24$, $BR(B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^{*+}) / BR (B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^+) = 2.37 \pm 0.56 \pm 0.10$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The mass of the \Bc meson is measured to be $m_{B^+_c} = 6276.28 \pm 1.44 (stat) \pm 0.36(syst) MeV/c^2$, using the $B^+_c \rightarrow J/ψD_s^+$ decay mode.

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Production of J/psi and Upsilon mesons in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV

The production of J/psi and Upsilon mesons in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector. The J/psi and Upsilon mesons are reconstructed in the mu+mu- decay mode and the signal yields are determined with a fit to the mu+mu- invariant mass distributions. The analysis is performed in the rapidity range 2.0<y<4.5 and transverse momentum range 0<p_T<14(15) GeV/c of the J/psi(Upsilon) mesons. The J/psi and Upsilon production cross-sections and the fraction of J/psi mesons from b-hadron decays are measured as a function of the meson p_T and y.

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Search for CP violation in D+ -> phi pi+ and Ds+ -> Ks pi+ decays

A search for CP violation in D+ -> phi pi+ decays is performed using data collected in 2011 by the LHCb experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb^{-1} at a centre of mass energy of 7 TeV. The CP-violating asymmetry is measured to be (-0.04+/-0.14+/-0.14)% for candidates with K-K+ mass within 20 MeV/c^{2} of the phi meson mass. A search for a CP-violating asymmetry that varies across the phi mass region of the D+ -> K-K+pi+ Dalitz plot is also performed, and no evidence for CP violation is found. In addition, the CP asymmetry in the Ds+ -> Ks pi+ decay is measured to be (0.61+/-0.83+/-0.14)%.

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First observation of the decay $B_{c}^{+}\to J/ψK^+$

The decay $B_c^+\to J/ψK^+$ is observed for the first time 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 $7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$. A yield of $46\pm12$ events is reported, with a significance of 5.0 standard deviations. The ratio of the branching fraction of $B_c^+\to J/ψK^+$ to that of $B_c^+\to J/ψπ^+$ is measured to be $0.069\pm0.019\pm0.005$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

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Precision measurement of D meson mass differences

Using three- and four-body decays of $D$ mesons produced in semileptonic $b$-hadron decays, precision measurements of $D$ meson mass differences are made together with a measurement of the $D^{0}$ mass. The measurements are based on a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1.0 fb^{-1}$ collected in $pp$ collisions at 7\,TeV. Using the decay $D^0 \rightarrow K^{+} K^{-} K^{-} π^{+}$, the $D^0$ mass is measured to be $M(D^0) &=& 1864.75 \pm 0.15 \,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.11 \,({\rm syst}) \, \textrm{MeV/c^2}$. The mass differences $M(D^{+}) - M(D^{0}) = 4.76 \pm 0.12 \,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.07 \,({\rm syst}) \, \textrm{MeV/c^2}$ and $M(D^{+}_s) - M(D^{+}) = 98.68 \pm 0.03 \,({\rm stat}) \pm 0.04 \,({\rm syst}) \, \textrm{MeV/c^2}$ are measured using the $D^0 \rightarrow K^{+} K^{-} π^{+} π^{-}$ and $D^{+}_{(s)} \rightarrow K^{+}K^{-} π^{+}$ modes.

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Measurement of CP violation and the B_s^0 meson decay width difference with B_s^0\to J/ψK^+ K^- and B_s^0\to J/ψπ^+π^- decays

The time-dependent CP asymmetry in B_s^0\to J/ψK^+K^- decays is measured using $pp$ collision data at \sqrt{s}=7TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0fb^-1, collected with the LHCb detector. The decay time distribution is characterised by the decay widths Γ_L and Γ_H of the light and heavy mass eigenstates of the B_s^0--\bar{B}_s^0 system and by a CP-violating phase ϕ_s. In a sample of 27\,617 B_s^0\to J/ψK^+K^- decays, where the dominant contribution comes from B_s^0\to J/ψϕ decays, these parameters are measured to be ϕ_s = 0.07 \pm 0.09 (stat) \pm 0.01 (syst) rad, Γ_s \equiv (Γ_L+Γ_H)/2 = 0.663 \pm 0.005 (stat) \pm 0.006 (syst) ps^-1, ΔΓ_s \equiv Γ_L -Γ_H = 0.100 \pm 0.016 (stat) \pm 0.003 (syst) & ps^-1, corresponding to the single most precise determination of ϕ_s, ΔΓ_s and Γ_s. The result of performing a combined analysis with B_s^{0} \to J/ψπ^+π^- decays gives ϕ_s = 0.01 \pm 0.07 (stat) \pm 0.01 (syst) rad, Γ_s = 0.661 \pm 0.004 (stat) \pm 0.006 (syst) ps^-1, ΔΓ_s = 0.106 \pm 0.011 (stat) \pm 0.007 (syst) & ps^-1. All measurements are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.

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