Precise determination of the $$B_{\mathrm{s}}^0$$–$$\overline B_{\mathrm{s}}^0$$ oscillation frequency

Mesons comprising a beauty quark and strange quark can oscillate between particle ($${B}_{\mathrm{s}}^{0}$$ B s 0 ) and antiparticle ($${\overline{B}}_{\mathrm{s}}^{0}$$ B ¯ s 0 ) flavour eigenstates, with a frequency given by the mass difference between heavy and light mass eigenstates, Δms. Here we present a measurement of Δms using $${B}_{\mathrm{s}}^{0}\to {D}_{\mathrm{s}}^{-}$$ B s 0 → D s − π+ decays produced in proton–proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The oscillation frequency is found to be Δms = 17.7683 ± 0.0051 ± 0.0032 ps−1, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This measurement improves on the current Δms precision by a factor of two. We combine this result with previous LHCb measurements to determine Δms = 17.7656 ± 0.0057 ps−1, which is the legacy measurement of the original LHCb detector.

Compositeness above the electroweak scale and a proposed test at LHCb

I review attempts to construct models of partial compositeness from strongly coupled gauge theories. A few minimal assumptions allow one to isolate a small number of representative models. After presenting the main idea, I discuss a recent proposal to detect a light pseudo-scalar, predicted in all these models, at the LHCb detector.

Study of $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ decays to charmonia and three light hadrons

Using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1 collected with the LHCb detector, seven decay modes of the $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + meson into a J/ψ or ψ(2S) meson and three charged hadrons, kaons or pions, are studied. The decays $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + → (ψ(2S) → J/ψπ+π−)π+, $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + → ψ(2S)π+π−π+, $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + → J/ψK+π−π+ and $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + → J/ψK+K−K+ are observed for the first time, and evidence for the $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + → ψ(2S)K+K−π+, decay is found, where J/ψ and ψ(2S) mesons are reconstructed in their dimuon decay modes. The ratios of branching fractions between the different $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{c}}^{+} $$ B c + decays are reported as well as the fractions of the decays proceeding via intermediate resonances. The results largely support the factorisation approach used for a theoretical description of the studied decays.

Simultaneous determination of CKM angle γ and charm mixing parameters

A combination of measurements sensitive to the CP violation angle γ of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle and to the charm mixing parameters that describe oscillations between D0 and $$ \overline{D} $$ D ¯ 0 mesons is performed. Results from the charm and beauty sectors, based on data collected with the LHCb detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, are combined for the first time. This method provides an improvement on the precision of the charm mixing parameter y by a factor of two with respect to the current world average. The charm mixing parameters are determined to be $$ x=\left({0.400}_{-0.053}^{+0.052}\right)\% $$ x = 0.400 − 0.053 + 0.052 % and y = $$ \left({0.630}_{-0.030}^{+0.033}\right)\% $$ 0.630 − 0.030 + 0.033 % . The angle γ is found to be γ = $$ \left({65.4}_{-4.2}^{+3.8}\right){}^{\circ} $$ 65.4 − 4.2 + 3.8 ° and is the most precise determination from a single experiment.

Study of the doubly charmed tetraquark $T_{cc}^+$

An exotic narrow state in the D0D0π + mass spectrum just below the D∗+D0 mass threshold is studied using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1 acquired with the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The state is consistent with the ground isoscalar T+ cc tetraquark with a quark content of ccud and spin-parity quantum numbers JP = 1+. Study of the DD mass spectra disfavours interpretation of the resonance as the isovector state. The decay structure via intermediate off-shell D∗+ mesons is confirmed by the D0π + mass distribution. The mass of the resonance and its coupling to the D∗D system are analysed. Resonance parameters including the pole position, scattering length, effective range and compositeness are measured to reveal important information about the nature of the T+ cc state. In addition, an unexpected dependence of the production rate on track multiplicity is observed.

Probing QCD with LHCb

While the LHCb detector was specifically designed for measuring heavy-flavor physics, it has also proven itself as a forward general purpose detector with flexible data acquisition, excellent lifetime resolution and charged particle identification. This makes LHCb an ideal laboratory for exploring phenomena related to quantum chromodynamics (QCD), particularly with heavy-flavor content. This review explores some of the novel QCD measurements from LHCb, with an emphasis placed on comparisons to predictions from the Pythia 8 Monte Carlo event generator.

Near threshold heavy vector meson photoproduction at LHC and EicC

The exclusive $$J/\Psi $$ J / Ψ and $$\Upsilon $$ Υ photoproduction in fixed - target collisions at the LHC and ep(A) collisions at the Electron ion collider in China (EicC) is investigated considering different models for the treatment of the vector meson production at low energies, close to the threshold. Results for the total cross sections and associated distributions are presented. We predict a large number of $$J/\Psi $$ J / Ψ events at the LHC in the rapidity range covered by the LHCb detector. For the EicC, our predictions point out that a detailed analysis of the near threshold $$J/\Psi $$ J / Ψ and $$\Upsilon $$ Υ photoproduction is feasible. Moreover, our results indicate that the modeling of the near threshold vector meson production can be constrained by future experimental analyzes at the LHC and EicC.

Observation of new excited $${B} ^0_{s} $$ states

A structure is observed in the $${B} ^{\pm }{K} ^{\mp }$$ B ± K ∓ mass spectrum in a sample of proton–proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9$$\,\text {fb} ^{-1}$$ fb - 1 . The structure is interpreted as the result of overlapping excited $${B} ^0_{s} $$ B s 0 states. With high significance, a two-peak hypothesis provides a better description of the data than a single resonance. Under this hypothesis the masses and widths of the two states, assuming they decay directly to $${B} ^{\pm }{K} ^{\mp }$$ B ± K ∓ , are determined to be $$\begin{aligned} m_1&= 6063.5 \pm 1.2 \text { (stat)} \pm 0.8\text { (syst)}\,\text {Me}\text {V}, \\ \Gamma _1&= 26 \pm 4 \text { (stat)} \pm 4\text { (syst)}\,\text {Me}\text {V}, \\ m_2&= 6114 \pm 3 \text { (stat)} \pm 5\text { (syst)}\,\text {Me}\text {V}, \\ \Gamma _2&= 66 \pm 18 \text { (stat)} \pm 21\text { (syst)}\,\text {Me}\text {V}. \end{aligned}$$ m 1 = 6063.5 ± 1.2 (stat) ± 0.8 (syst) Me , Γ 1 = 26 ± 4 (stat) ± 4 (syst) Me , m 2 = 6114 ± 3 (stat) ± 5 (syst) Me , Γ 2 = 66 ± 18 (stat) ± 21 (syst) Me . Alternative values assuming a decay through $${B} ^{*\pm }{K} ^{\mp }$$ B ∗ ± K ∓ , with a missing photon from the $$B^{*\pm } \rightarrow B^{\pm }\gamma $$ B ∗ ± → B ± γ decay, which are shifted by approximately 45$$\,\text {Me}$$ Me V, are also determined. The possibility of a single state decaying in both channels is also considered. The ratio of the total production cross-section times branching fraction of the new states relative to the previously observed $$B_{s2}^{*0}$$ B s 2 ∗ 0 state is determined to be $$0.87 \pm 0.15 \text { (stat)} \pm 0.19 \text { (syst)}$$ 0.87 ± 0.15 (stat) ± 0.19 (syst) .

Searching for axionlike particles with low masses in pPb and PbPb collisions

The production of axionlike particles (ALPs) with small masses in ultraperipheral Pb–p and Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC is investigated. The cross section and kinematical distributions associated to the diphoton final state produced in the $$\gamma \gamma \rightarrow a \rightarrow \gamma \gamma $$ γ γ → a → γ γ subprocesses are estimated considering a realistic set of kinematical cuts. A detailed analysis of the backgrounds is performed and the expected sensitivity to the ALP production is derived. Our results demonstrate that a future experimental analysis of the exclusive diphoton production for the forward rapidities probed by the LHCb detector can improve the existing exclusion limits on the ALP–photon coupling in the mass range 2 GeV $$\le m_a \le $$ ≤ m a ≤ 5 GeV.

Observation of the decay $$ {\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0 $$ → χc1pπ−

The Cabibbo-suppressed decay $$ {\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0 $$ Λ b 0 → χc1pπ− is observed for the first time using data from proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb−1, collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Evidence for the $$ {\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0 $$ Λ b 0 → χc2pπ− decay is also found. Using the $$ {\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0 $$ Λ b 0 → χc1pK− decay as normalisation channel, the ratios of branching fractions are measured to be$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0\to {\upchi}_{\mathrm{c}1}{\mathrm{p}\uppi}^{-}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0\to {\upchi}_{\mathrm{c}1}{\mathrm{p}\mathrm{K}}^{-}\right)}=\left(6.59\pm 1.01\pm 0.22\right)\times {10}^{-2},\\ {}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0\to {\upchi}_{\mathrm{c}2}{\mathrm{p}\uppi}^{-}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0\to {\upchi}_{\mathrm{c}1}{\mathrm{p}\uppi}^{-}\right)}=0.95\pm 0.30\pm 0.04\pm 0.04,\\ {}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0\to {\upchi}_{\mathrm{c}2}{\mathrm{p}\mathrm{K}}^{-}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_{\mathrm{b}}^0\to {\upchi}_{\mathrm{c}1}{\mathrm{p}\mathrm{K}}^{-}\right)}=1.06\pm 0.05\pm 0.04\pm 0.04,\end{array}} $$ B Λ b 0 → χ c 1 pπ − B Λ b 0 → χ c 1 pK − = 6.59 ± 1.01 ± 0.22 × 10 − 2 , B Λ b 0 → χ c 2 pπ − B Λ b 0 → χ c 1 pπ − = 0.95 ± 0.30 ± 0.04 ± 0.04 , B Λ b 0 → χ c 2 pK − B Λ b 0 → χ c 1 pK − = 1.06 ± 0.05 ± 0.04 ± 0.04 , where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is due to the uncertainties in the branching fractions of χc1,2→ J/ψγ decays.