Malcolm John

Abstract:

A search for the $C\!P$-violating strong decays $\eta \to \pi^+\pi^-$ and $\eta^\prime(958) \to \pi^+\pi^-$ has been performed using approximately $2.5 \times 10^{7}$ events of each of the decays $D^+ \to \pi^+\pi^+\pi^-$ and $D_s^+ \to \pi^+\pi^+\pi^-$, recorded by the LHCb experiment. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collision data recorded during LHC Run 1 and 0.3 fb$^{-1}$ recorded in Run 2. No evidence is seen for $D^+_{(s)} \to \pi^+ \eta^{(\prime)}$ with $\eta^{(\prime)} \to \pi^+\pi^-$, and upper limits at 90% confidence level are set on the branching fractions, $\mathcal{B}(\eta \to \pi^+\pi^-) < 1.6 \times 10^{-5}$ and $\mathcal{B}(\eta^\prime \to \pi^+\pi^-) < 1.8 \times 10^{-5}$. The limit for the $\eta$ decay is comparable with the existing one, while that for the $\eta^\prime$ is a factor of three smaller than the previous limit.

Abstract:

A search is performed for heavy long-lived charged particles using 3.0 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions collected at s√ = 7 and 8 TeV with the LHCb detector. The search is mainly based on the response of the ring imaging Cherenkov detectors to distinguish the heavy, slow-moving particles from muons. No evidence is found for the production of such long-lived states. The results are expressed as limits on the Drell–Yan production of pairs of long-lived particles, with both particles in the LHCb pseudorapidity acceptance, 1.8<η<4.9 . The mass-dependent cross-section upper limits are in the range 2–4 fb (at 95 % CL) for masses between 14 and 309 GeV/c2 .

Abstract:

Two-particle angular correlations are studied in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon–nucleon centre-of-mass energy of sNN=5 TeV, collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on data recorded in two beam configurations, in which either the direction of the proton or that of the lead ion is analysed. The correlations are measured in the laboratory system as a function of relative pseudorapidity, Δη, and relative azimuthal angle, Δϕ, for events in different classes of event activity and for different bins of particle transverse momentum. In high-activity events a long-range correlation on the near side, Δϕ≈0, is observed in the pseudorapidity range 2.0<η<4.9. This measurement of long-range correlations on the near side in proton-lead collisions extends previous observations into the forward region up to η=4.9. The correlation increases with growing event activity and is found to be more pronounced in the direction of the lead beam. However, the correlation in the direction of the lead and proton beams are found to be compatible when comparing events with similar absolute activity in the direction analysed.

Abstract:

A measurement of the differential branching fraction of the decay B0 → K∗(892)0μ+μ− is presented together with a determination of the S-wave fraction of the K+π− system in the decay B0 → K+π−μ+μ−. The analysis is based on pp-collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1 collected with the LHCb experiment. The measurements are made in bins of the invariant mass squared of the dimuon system, q2. Precise theoretical predictions for the differential branching fraction of B0 → K∗(892)0μ+μ− decays are available for the q2 region 1.1 < q2< 6.0 GeV2/c4. In this q2 region, for the K+π− invariant mass range 796 < mKπ < 996 MeV/c2, the S-wave fraction of the K+π− system in B0 → K+π−μ+μ− decays is found to be FS = 0.101±0.017(stat)±0.009(syst), and the differential branching fraction of B0 → K∗(892)0μ+μ− decays is determined to be dℬ/dq2=(0.392−0.019+0.020(stat)±0.010(syst)±0.027(norm))×10−7c4/GeV2. The differential branching fraction measurements presented are the most precise to date and are found to be in agreement with Standard Model predictions.

Abstract:

A search is presented for massive long-lived particles, in the 20-60 GeV/c2 mass range with lifetimes between 5 and 100 ps. The dataset used corresponds to 0.62 fb^-1 of proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb detector at √s = 7 TeV. The particles are assumed to be pair-produced by the decay of a Higgs-like boson with mass between 80 and 140 GeV/c2. No excess above the background expectation is observed and limits are set on the production cross-section as a function of the long-lived particle mass and lifetime and of the Higgs-like boson mass.