Abstract: A simultaneous analysis of the B thorn & RARR; K thorn e thorn e- and B0 & RARR; K & DBLBOND;0e thorn e- decays is performed to test muonelectron universality in two ranges of the square of the dilepton invariant mass, q2. The measurement uses a sample of beauty meson decays produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb-1. A sequence of multivariate selections and strict particle identification requirements produce a higher signal purity and a better statistical sensitivity per unit luminosity than previous LHCb lepton universality tests using the same decay modes. Residual backgrounds due to misidentified hadronic decays are studied using data and included in the fit model. Each of the four lepton universality measurements reported is either the first in the given q2 interval or supersedes previous LHCb measurements. The results are compatible with the predictions of the Standard Model.

Abstract: Using a proton-proton collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected by LHCb at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, about 3800 Xi(0)(b) -> Xi(+)(c)pi(-), Xi(+)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+) signal decays are reconstructed. From this sample, the first measurement of the Xi(0)(b) baryon lifetime is made, relative to that of the Lambda(0)(b) baryon. The mass differences M(Xi(0)(b)) – M(Lambda(0)(b)) and M(Xi(+)(c)) – M(Lambda(+)(c)) are also measured with precision more than 4 times better than the current world averages. The resulting values are tau(Xi b0)/tau(Lambda b0) = 1.006 +/- 0.018 +/- 0.010, M(Xi(0)(b)) – M(Lambda(0)(b)) = 172.44 +/- 0.39 +/- 0.17 MeV/c(2), M(Xi(+)(c)) – M(Lambda(+)(c)) = 181.51 +/- 0.14 +/- 0.10 MeV/c(2), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The relative rate of Xi(0)(b) to Lambda(0)(b) baryon production is measured to be f(Xi b0) B(Xi(0)(b) -> Xi(+)(c)pi(-)) B(Xi(+)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+))/f(Lambda b0) B(Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda(+)(c)pi(-)) B(Lambda(+)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+)) = (1.88 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.03) x 10(-2), where the first factor is the ratio of fragmentation fractions, b -> Xi(0)(b) relative to b -> Lambda(0)(b). Relative production rates as functions of transverse momentum and pseudorapidity are also presented.

Abstract: We report measurements of the lifetimes of the Lambda(+)(c), Xi(+)(c) and Xi(0)(c) charm baryons using proton- proton collision data at center- of- mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment. The charm baryons are reconstructed through the decays Lambda(+)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+),. Xi(+)(c) -> pK(-) pi(+) and Xi(0)(c) -> pK(-) K- pi(+), and originate from semimuonic decays of beauty baryons. The lifetimes are measured relative to that of the D+ meson, and are determined to be tau Lambda(+)(c) = 203.5 +/- 1.0 +/- 1.3 +/- 1.4 fs; tau Xi(+)(c) = 456.8 +/- 3.5 +/- 2.9 +/- 3.1 fs; tau Xi(0)(c) = 154.5 +/- 1.7 +/- 1.6 +/- 1.0 fs; where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the uncertainty in the D+ lifetime. The measurements are approximately 3- 4 times more precise than the current world average values. The. +c and Xi(+)(c) lifetimes are in agreement with previous measurements; however, the Xi(0)(c) baryon lifetime is approximately 3.3 standard deviations larger than the world average value.

Abstract: We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral current process B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-) using data from the BABAR experiment. The data sample, collected at the center-of-mass energy of the Upsilon(4S) resonance, corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 424 fb(-1) and to 471 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs. We reconstruct one B meson, produced in the Upsilon(4S) -> B+B- decay, in one of many hadronic decay modes and search for activity compatible with a B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-) decay in the rest of the event. Each tau lepton is required to decay leptonically into an electron or muon and neutrinos. Comparing the expected number of background events with the data sample after applying the selection criteria, we do not find evidence for a signal. The resulting upper limit, at the 90% confidence level, is B(B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-)) < 2.25 x 10(-3).

Abstract: Observations are reported of different sources of CP violation from an amplitude analysis of B+ -> pi(+)pi(+)pi(-) decays, based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) of pp collisions recorded with the LHCb detector. A large CP asymmetry is observed in the decay amplitude involving the tensor f(2)(1270) resonance, and in addition significant CP violation is found in the pi(+)pi S- wave at low invariant mass. The presence of CP violation related to interference between the pi(+)pi S- wave and the P wave B+ -> rho(770)(0)pi(+) amplitude is also established; this causes large local asymmetries but cancels when integrated over the phase space of the decay. The results provide both qualitative and quantitative new insights into CP -violation effects in hadronic B decays.