Search

A search for violation of the charge-parity ($CP$) symmetry in the $D^{+}\to K^{-}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{+}$ decay is presented, with proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the LHCb detector. A novel model-independent technique is used to compare the $D^{+}$ and $D^{-}$ phase-space distributions, with instrumental asymmetries subtracted using the $D_s^{+}\to K^{-}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{+}$ decay as a control channel. The $p$ value for the hypothesis of $CP$ conservation is 8.1%. The $CP$ asymmetry observables $A_{CP|S}^{\varphi {\pi }^{+}}=(0.95\pm 0.43_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm 0.26_{\mathrm{syst}})\times {10}^{-3}$ and $A_{CP|S}^{{\overline{K}}^{*0}{K}^{+}}=(-0.26\pm 0.56_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm 0.18_{\mathrm{syst}})\times {10}^{-3}$ are also measured. These results show no evidence of $CP$ violation and represent the most sensitive search performed through the phase space of a multibody decay.

A comprehensive study of the angular distributions in the bottom-baryon decays ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b^0\to {\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}{h}^{-}(h=\pi ,K)$, followed by ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}\to \mathrm{\Lambda }{h}^{+}$ with $\mathrm{\Lambda }\to p{\pi }^{-}$ or ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}\to p{K}_{\mathrm{S}}^0$ decays, is performed using a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The decay parameters and the associated charge-parity ($CP$) asymmetries are measured, with no significant $CP$ violation observed. For the first time, the ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b^0\to {\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}{h}^{-}$ decay parameters are measured. The most precise measurements of the decay parameters $\alpha$, $\beta$, and $\gamma$ are obtained for ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}$ decays and an independent measurement of the decay parameters for the strange-baryon $\mathrm{\Lambda }$ decay is provided. The results deepen our understanding of weak decay dynamics in baryon decays.

A search for the nonresonant ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}\to p{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decay is performed using proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. No evidence for the decay is found in the dimuon invariant-mass regions where the expected contributions of resonances is subdominant. The upper limit on the branching fraction of the ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}\to p{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decay is determined to be $2.9(3.2)\times {10}^{-8}\text{at}90\%(95\%)$ confidence level. The branching fractions in the dimuon invariant-mass regions dominated by the $\eta$, $\rho$ and $\omega$ resonances are also determined.

The longitudinal polarization fraction of the $D^{*}$ meson is measured in $B^0\to D^{*-}{\tau }^{+}{\nu }_{\tau }$ decays, where the $\tau$ lepton decays to three charged pions and a neutrino, using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The $D^{*}$ polarization fraction $F_L^{D^{*}}$ is measured in two $q^2$ regions, below and above $7{\mathrm{GeV}}^2/c^4$, where $q^2$ is defined as the squared invariant mass of the $\tau {\nu }_{\tau }$ system. The $F_L^{D^{*}}$ values are measured to be $0.52\pm 0.07\pm 0.04$ and $0.34\pm 0.08\pm 0.02$ for the lower and higher $q^2$ regions, respectively. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The average value over the whole $q^2$ range is $F_L^{D^{*}}=0.41\pm 0.06\pm 0.03$. These results are compatible with the Standard Model predictions.

The first test of lepton flavor universality between muons and electrons using $B^{+}\to K^{+}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{\ell }^{+}{\ell }^{-}$ ($\ell =e$, $\mu$) decays is presented. The measurement is performed with data from proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The ratio of branching fractions between $B^{+}\to K^{+}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{e}^{+}{e}^{-}$ and $B^{+}\to K^{+}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decays is measured in the dilepton invariant-mass-squared range $1.1<q^2<7.0{\mathrm{GeV}}^2/c^4$ and is found to be $R_{K\pi \pi }^{-1}=1.31_{-0.17}^{+0.18}(\mathrm{stat}){}_{-0.09}^{+0.12}(\mathrm{syst})$, in agreement with the standard model prediction. The first observation of the $B^{+}\to K^{+}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}{e}^{+}{e}^{-}$ decay is also reported.

The first measurement of the $CP$ asymmetry of the decay rate ($A_{CP}$) and the $CP$ average ($\mathrm{\Sigma }{A}_{\mathrm{FB}}$) and $CP$ asymmetry ($\mathrm{\Delta }{A}_{\mathrm{FB}}$) of the forward-backward asymmetry in the muon system of ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}\to p{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decays is reported. The measurement is performed using a data sample of proton-proton collisions, recorded by the LHCb experiment from 2016 to 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The asymmetries are measured in two regions of dimuon mass near the $\varphi$-meson mass peak. The dimuon-mass integrated results are $A_{CP}=(-1.1\pm 4.0\pm 0.5)\%$, $\mathrm{\Sigma }{A}_{\mathrm{FB}}=(3.9\pm 4.0\pm 0.6)\%$, $\mathrm{\Delta }{A}_{\mathrm{FB}}=(3.1\pm 4.0\pm 0.4)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with the conservation of $CP$ symmetry and the Standard Model expectations.

The first observation of the ${\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\to p{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decay is reported with high significance using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. A yield of $237\pm 16{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}\to p{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decays is obtained, where the uncertainty is statistical only. A branching fraction of $(1.08\pm 0.17)\times {10}^{-8}$ is measured, where the uncertainty includes statistical and systematic sources. No evidence of resonant structures is found in the dimuon invariant-mass distribution. All results are compatible with standard model expectations. This represents the rarest decay of a baryon ever observed.

The substructure of jets in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) has garnered significant attention with the advent of infrared- and collinear-safe clustering algorithms and observables. A key question emerging from these studies is how in-jet emissions at soft and hard energy scales, across collinear and wide angles relative to the emitter, differ with the mass of the emitting parton. The Lund jet plane (LJP) is a perturbatively well-defined substructure observable that maps the radiation pattern of jets onto a plane, visually distinguishing emissions with different kinematic properties. Comparing LJP for jets containing hadrons of low versus high mass enables the testing of QCD splitting functions from first-principles calculations across both soft and hard regimes and at different radiation angles. This article presents the first measurement of the LJP for light-quark-enriched and beauty-initiated jets at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at LHCb. This marks the first direct observation of the dead-cone effect in beauty-quark jets, measured in the collinear region of the LJP.

An amplitude analysis of the ${\mathrm{\Xi }}_c^{+}\to p{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ decay together with a measurement of the ${\mathrm{\Xi }}_c^{+}$ polarization vector in semileptonic beauty-hadron decays is presented. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. An amplitude model is developed and the resonance fractions as well as two- and three-body decay parameters are reported. A sizeable ${\mathrm{\Xi }}_c^{+}$ polarization is found. A large sensitivity of the ${\mathrm{\Xi }}_c^{+}\to p{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ decay to the polarization is seen, making the amplitude model suitable for ${\mathrm{\Xi }}_c^{+}$ polarization measurements in other systems.

The ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b^0\to {\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}{D}_s^{-}{K}^{+}{K}^{-}$ decay is observed for the first time using the data sample from proton-proton collisions recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $6{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The ratio of branching fraction to that of ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_b^0\to {\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}{D}_s^{-}$ decays is measured as $0.0141\pm 0.0019\pm 0.0012$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. A search for hidden-charm pentaquarks with strangeness is performed in the ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}{D}_s^{-}$ system. No evidence is found, and upper limits on the production ratio of $P_{c\overline{c}s}(4338{)}^0$ and $P_{c\overline{c}s}(4459{)}^0$ pentaquarks relative to the ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}{D}_s^{-}$ final state are set at the 95% confidence level as 0.12 and 0.20, respectively.

A precision measurement of the muon charge asymmetry from $W$-boson decays in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13\mathrm{TeV}$ is presented. The analysis utilizes data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.1{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, recorded by the LHCb detector during 2016, 2017, and 2018. The asymmetry is measured for muons with transverse momentum between 25 and 55 GeV and pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. This result represents the most precise determination of the muon charge asymmetry in the forward region to date, exhibiting excellent agreement with next-to-next-to-leading-order predictions in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. The measured asymmetries are corrected for experimental efficiencies, resolution, and final-state photon radiation.

An amplitude analysis of the $B^0\to K^{*0}{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decay is presented. The analysis is based on data collected by the LHCb experiment from proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $4.7{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. For the first time, Wilson coefficients and nonlocal hadronic contributions are accessed directly from the unbinned data, where the latter are parametrized as a function of $q^2$ with a polynomial expansion. Wilson coefficients and nonlocal hadronic parameters are determined under two alternative hypotheses: the first relies on experimental information alone, while the second one includes information from theoretical predictions for the nonlocal contributions. Both models obtain similar results for the parameters of interest. The overall level of compatibility with the Standard Model is evaluated to be between 1.8 and 1.9 standard deviations when looking at the ${\mathcal{C}}_9$ Wilson coefficient alone, and between 1.3 and 1.4 standard deviations when considering the full set of ${\mathcal{C}}_9,{\mathcal{C}}_{10},{\mathcal{C}}_9^{\prime }$ and ${\mathcal{C}}_{10}^{\prime }$ Wilson coefficients. The ranges reflect the theoretical assumptions made in the analysis.

Searches are presented for $B_c^{+}\to D{h}^{+}{h}^{-}$ decays, where $D$ is a charmed meson and $h^{\pm }$ is a charged pion or kaon, using $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The decays $B_c^{+}\to D^{+}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{-}$, $B_c^{+}\to D^{*+}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{-}$, and $B_c^{+}\to D_s^{+}{K}^{+}{K}^{-}$ are observed for the first time. Their branching fractions, expressed as ratios relative to that of the $B_c^{+}\to B_s^0{\pi }^{+}$ decay, are determined to be $\mathcal{R}(B_c^{+}\to D^{+}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{-})=(1.96\pm 0.23\pm 0.08\pm 0.10)\times {10}^{-3}$, $\mathcal{R}(B_c^{+}\to D^{*+}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{-})=(3.67\pm 0.55\pm 0.24\pm 0.20)\times {10}^{-3}$, $\mathcal{R}(B_c^{+}\to D_s^{+}{K}^{+}{K}^{-})=(1.61\pm 0.35\pm 0.13\pm 0.07)\times {10}^{-3}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the limited precision on the $D$-meson branching fractions. The decay channels proceed primarily through excited $K^0$ or $D^0$ resonances or $\varphi$ mesons, and open a new avenue for studies of charge-parity violation in beauty mesons.

The time-dependent $CP$ asymmetry in $B^0\to J/\psi \rho (770{)}^0$ decays is measured using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $6{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV during the years 2015–2018. The $CP$-violation parameters for this process are determined to be $2{\beta }_{c\overline{c}d}^{\mathrm{eff}}=0.710\pm 0.084\pm 0.051\mathrm{rad}$ and $|\lambda |=1.019\pm 0.034\pm 0.024$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This constitutes the first observation of time-dependent $CP$ violation in $B^0\to J/\psi \rho (770{)}^0$ decays. Assuming approximate SU(3) flavor symmetry, these results are combined with the previous consistent LHCb measurement to set the most stringent constraint on the penguin contribution, $\mathrm{\Delta }{\varphi }_s$, to the $CP$-violating phase ${\varphi }_s$ in $B_s^0\to J/\psi \varphi (1020)$ decays, yielding $\mathrm{\Delta }{\varphi }_s=5.0\pm 4.6\mathrm{mrad}$.

The first measurement of the polarization of charm baryons by the LHCb experiment recorded in fixed-target mode is presented. The polarization of ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c$ baryons is studied in collisions of protons, at an energy of 2.51 TeV, incident on a gaseous target of neon, at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 68.6 GeV. The world’s first measurement of separate-charge polarizations for ${\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}$ and ${\overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}}_c^{-}$ baryons is performed, determining $P_{{\mathrm{\Lambda }}_c^{+}}=(24\pm 9\pm 2)\%$, $P_{{\overline{\mathrm{\Lambda }}}_c^{-}}=(-8\pm 12\pm 3)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The polarization is also measured in intervals of baryon transverse momentum and the Feynman-$x$ variable.

A measurement of the flavor-untagged decay-time-integrated $CP$ asymmetry in the flavor-specific decay $B_s^0\to D_s^{-}{\pi }^{+}$, $⟨A_{\text{untagged}}^s⟩$, is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment between 2016 and 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The $CP$ asymmetry is measured in two $D_s^{-}$ meson decay modes, $D_s^{-}\to K^{-}{K}^{+}{\pi }^{-}$ and $D_s^{-}\to {\pi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$. The combined result, $⟨A_{\text{untagged}}^s⟩=(-1.4\pm 5.9(\mathrm{stat})\pm 1.1(\mathrm{syst}))\times {10}^{-3}$, is consistent with the Standard Model expectation and provides a direct constraint on new physics in tree-level $b$-hadron decays.

A search for $CP$ violation in the ${\overline{B}}^0\to {\overline{K}}^{*0}{\mu }^{+}{\mu }^{-}$ decay is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment during Run 1 and Run 2, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $8.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The analysis exploits the full angular distribution of the decay, providing sensitivity to $CP$-violating effects in both vector and axial-vector contributions to this flavor-changing neutral-current process. The complex Wilson coefficients are determined within the weak effective theory through an unbinned maximum-likelihood fit to the angular observables, incorporating nonlocal hadronic amplitudes across the full dimuon mass spectrum. The precision of the $CP$-violation observables is improved by an order of magnitude relative to previous measurements, with the imaginary parts of the Wilson coefficients now determined more precisely than the real parts. No significant $CP$ violation is observed, and the results are consistent with the standard model.

The first four-dimensional amplitude analysis of the $B^{+}\to \psi (2S)K_{\mathrm{S}}^0{\pi }^{+}$ decay is performed with proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at $\sqrt{s}=13\mathrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\mathrm{f}{\mathrm{b}}^{-1}$. The data cannot be fully explained by $B^{+}\to \psi (2S)K^{*+}$ contributions alone. A significantly better description of the data is obtained by adding a $T_{c\overline{c}}^{+}$ contribution decaying to $\psi (2S){\pi }^{+}$. The properties of the $T_{c\overline{c}}^{+}$ structure are consistent with the exotic state $T_{c\overline{c}1}(4430{)}^{+}$ reported in the isospin-related ${\overline{B}}^0\to \psi (2S)K^{-}{\pi }^{+}$ decay. Effects of a possible $T_{c\overline{c}1}(4430{)}^{+}\to {\overline{D}}_1^{*}(2600{)}^0{D}^{+}$ decay mode on the $T_{c\overline{c}1}(4430{)}^{+}\to \psi (2S){\pi }^{+}$ mass distribution are investigated through a Flatté parametrization, providing constraints on the relative decay strength. A description of the $T_{c\overline{c}1}(4430{)}^{+}$ structure using the triangle singularity mechanism is studied and also found to be consistent with the data.

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 center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. The total production cross sections of top and antitop quarks are also determined. Measurements are performed using the $\mu +b\text{-jet}$ final state within a fiducial region defined by $b$-jet $p_{\mathrm{T},\text{jet}}>50\mathrm{GeV}$ and pseudorapidity $2.2<{\eta }_{\text{jet}}<4.0$, with the muon from the $W$-boson decay required to have $p_{\mathrm{T},\mu }>25\mathrm{GeV}$ and $2.0<{\eta }_{\mu }<4.5$. The muon and $b$-jet system must satisfy $p_{\mathrm{T}}(\mu +\text{jet})>20\mathrm{GeV}$. The measured integrated production cross sections for the top and antitop quarks are ${\sigma }_t=0.95\pm 0.04\pm 0.08\pm 0.02\mathrm{pb}$, ${\sigma }_{\overline{t}}=0.81\pm 0.03\pm 0.07\pm 0.02\mathrm{pb}$, 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.

A study of resonant structures in $B^{+}\to D^{*+}{D}^{-}{K}^{+}$ and $B^{+}\to D^{*-}{D}^{+}{K}^{+}$ decays is performed, using proton-proton collision data at center-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=7$, 8, and 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$. A simultaneous amplitude fit is performed to the two channels with contributions from resonances decaying to $D^{*-}{D}^{+}$ and $D^{*+}{D}^{-}$ states linked by $C$ parity. This procedure allows the $C$ parities of resonances in the $D^{*\pm }{D}^{\mp }$ mass spectra to be determined. Four charmonium or charmoniumlike states are observed decaying into $D^{*\pm }{D}^{\mp }$: ${\eta }_c(3945)$, $h_c(4000)$, ${\chi }_{c1}(4010)$, and $h_c(4300)$, with quantum numbers $J^{PC}$ equal to $0^{-+}$, $1^{+-}$, $1^{++}$, and $1^{+-}$, respectively. At least three of these states have not been observed previously. In addition, the existence of the $T_{\overline{c}\overline{s}0}^{*}(2870{)}^0$ and $T_{\overline{c}\overline{s}1}^{*}(2900{)}^0$ resonances in the $D^{-}{K}^{+}$ mass spectrum, already observed in the $B^{+}\to D^{+}{D}^{-}{K}^{+}$ decay, is confirmed in a different production channel.