Abstract: Quantum chromodynamics, the theory of the strong force, describes interactions of coloured quarks and gluons and the formation of hadronic matter. Conventional hadronic matter consists of baryons and mesons made of three quarks and quark-antiquark pairs, respectively. Particles with an alternative quark content are known as exotic states. Here a study is reported of an exotic narrow state in the (DD0)-D-0 pi(+) mass spectrum just below the D*+D-0 mass threshold produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The state is consistent with the ground isoscalar T-cc(+), tetraquark with a quark content of cc (u) over bar(d) over bar and spin-parity quantum numbers J(P) =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 consistent with the observed D-0 pi(+) mass distribution. To analyse the mass of the resonance and its coupling to the DID system, a dedicated model is developed under the assumption of an isoscalar axial-vector T-cc(+), state decaying to the D*D channel. Using this model, resonance parameters including the pole position, scattering length, effective range and compositeness are determined 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.

Abstract: A search for the very rare D^{0}mu^{+}mu^{-} decay is performed using data collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9fb^{-1}. The search is optimized for D^{0} mesons from D^{*+}D^{0}pi^{+} decays but is also sensitive to D^{0} mesons from other sources. No evidence for an excess of events over the expected background is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of this decay is set at B(D^{0}mu^{+}mu^{-})<3.1*10^{-9} at a 90% C.L. This represents the world's most stringent limit, constraining models of physics beyond the standard model.

Abstract: The B+→D+sD−sK+ decay is observed for the first time using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb−1. Its branching fraction relative to that of the B+→D+D−K+ decay is measured to be B(B+→D+sD−sK+)B(B+→D+D−K+)=0.525±0.033±0.027±0.034, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainties on the branching fractions of the D±s→K∓K±π± and D±→K∓π±π± decays. This measurement fills an experimental gap in the knowledge of the family of Cabibbo-favored ¯b→¯cc¯s transitions and opens the path for unique studies of spectroscopy in future.

Abstract: We describe the Hybrid seeding, a stand-alone pattern recognition algorithm aiming at finding charged particle trajectories for the LHCb upgrade. A significant improvement to the charged particle reconstruction efficiency is accomplished by exploiting the knowledge of the LHCb magnetic field and the position of energy deposits in the scintillating fibre tracker detector. Moreover, we achieve a low fake rate and a small contribution to the overall timing budget of the LHCb real-time data processing.

Abstract: An angular analysis of B degrees -> J/psi K+pi(-) decays is performed, using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb detector. The m(K+pi(-) ) spectrum is divided into fine bins. In each m(K+pi(-)) bin, the hypothesis that the three-dimensional angular distribution can be described by structures induced only by K* resonances is examined, making minimal assumptions about the K+pi(-) system. The data reject the K*-only hypothesis with a large significance, implying the observation of exotic contributions in a model-independent fashion. Inspection of the m(J/psi pi(-)) vs m(K+pi(-)) plane suggests structures near m(J/psi pi(-)) = 4200 and 4600 MeV.