Abstract: The production of (nS) mesons (n = 1; 2; 3) in p Pb and Pb p collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair p sNN = 8 : 16TeV is measured by the LHCb experiment, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 31.8 nb. The (nS) mesons are reconstructed through their decays into two opposite-sign muons. The measurements comprise the di ff erential production cross-sections of the (1 S) and (2 S) states, their forward-to-backward ratios and nuclear modi fi cation factors. The measurements are performed as a function of the transverse momentum pT and rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass frame y of the (nS) states, in the kinematic range pT < 25 GeV/ c and 1 : 5 < y < 4 : 0 (5 : 0 < y < 2 : 5) for p Pb (Pb p) collisions. In addition, production cross-sections for (3 S) are measured integrated over phase space and the production ratios between all three (nS) states are determined. Suppression for bottomonium in proton-lead collisions is observed, which is particularly visible in the ratios. The results are compared to theoretical models.

Abstract: The standard model of particle physics currently provides our best description of fundamental particles and their interactions. The theory predicts that the different charged leptons, the electron, muon and tau, have identical electroweak interaction strengths. Previous measurements have shown that a wide range of particle decays are consistent with this principle of lepton universality. This article presents evidence for the breaking of lepton universality in beauty-quark decays, with a significance of 3.1 standard deviations, based on proton–proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are of processes in which a beauty meson transforms into a strange meson with the emission of either an electron and a positron, or a muon and an antimuon. If confirmed by future measurements, this violation of lepton universality would imply physics beyond the standard model, such as a new fundamental interaction between quarks and leptons.

Abstract: Electromagnetic dipole moments of short-lived particles are sensitive to physics within and beyond the Standard Model of particle physics but have not been accessible experimentally to date. To perform such measurements it has been proposed to exploit the spin precession of channeled particles in bent crystals at the LHC. Progress that enables the first measurement of charm baryon dipole moments is reported. In particular, the design and characterization on beam of silicon and germanium bent crystal prototypes, the optimization of the experimental setup, and advanced analysis techniques are discussed. Sensitivity studies show that first measurements of Lambda(+)(c) and Xi(+)(c) baryon dipole moments can he performed in two years of data taking with an experimental setup positioned upstream of the LHCb detector.

Abstract: Amplitude models are constructed to describe the resonance structure of D-0 -> K-pi(+) pi(+) pi(-) and D-0 -> K+ pi(-)pi(-)pi(+) decays using pp collision data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 f b(-1). The largest contributions to both decay amplitudes are found to come from axial resonances, with decay modes D-0 -> a(1)(1260)(+) K- and D-0 -> K-1(1270/1400)(+)pi(-) being prominent in D-0 -> K-pi(+) pi(+) pi(-) and D-0 -> K+pi(-)pi(-)pi(+), respectively. Precise measurements of the lineshape parameters and couplings of the a(1)(1260)(+), K-1(1270)(-) and K(1460)(-) resonances are made, and a quasi model-independent study of the K(1460)(-) resonance is performed. The coherence factor of the decays is calculated from the amplitude models to be R-K3 pi = 0.459 +/- 0.010 (stat) +/- 0.012 (syst) +/- 0.020 (model), which is consistent with direct measurements. These models will be useful in future measurements of the unitary-triangle angle gamma and studies of charm mixing and CP violation.

Abstract: We propose a unique program of measurements of electric and magnetic dipole moments of charm, beauty and strange charged baryons at the LHC, based on the phenomenon of spin precession of channeled particles in bent crystals. Studies of crystal channeling and spin precession of positively- and negatively-charged particles are presented, along with feasibility studies and expected sensitivities for the proposed experiment using a layout based on the LHCb detector.