Abstract: The element vertical bar V-cb vertical bar of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix is measured using semileptonic B-s(0) decays produced in proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). Rates of B-s0 -> D-s(-) mu(+)nu(mu) and B-s0 -> D-s*(-) mu(+)nu(mu) decays are analyzed using hadronic form-factor parametrizations derived either by Caprini, Lellouch and Neubert (CLN) or by Boyd, Grinstein and Lebed (BGL). The measured values of vertical bar V-cb vertical bar are (41.4 +/- 0.6 +/- 0.9 +/- 1.2) x 10(-3) and (42.3 +/- 0.8 +/- 0.9 +/- 1.2) x 10(-3) in the CLN and BGL parametrization, respectively. The first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third is due to the external inputs used in the measurement. These results are in agreement with those obtained from decays of B+ and B-0 mesons. They are the first determinations of vertical bar V-cb vertical bar at a hadron-collider experiment and the first using B-s(0) meson decays.

Abstract: The Xi(0)(c) baryon is unstable and usually decays into charmless final states by the c -> sud transition. It can, however, also disintegrate into a pi(-) meson and a Lambda(+)(c) baryon via s quark decay or via cs -> dc weak scattering. The interplay between the latter two processes governs the size of the branching fraction B(Xi(0)(c) -> pi(-) Lambda(+)(c)), first measured here to be (0.55 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.18)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and second systematic. This result is compatible with the larger of the theoretical predictions that connect models of hyperon decays using partially conserved axial currents and SU(3) symmetry with those involving the heavy-quark expansion and heavy-quark symmetry. In addition, the branching fraction of the normalization channel, B(Xi(+)(c) -> pK(-) pi(+)) = (1.135 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.387)% is measured.

Abstract: We study the processes gamma gamma -> eta(c )-> eta'K+K-, eta'pi(+)pi(-), and eta pi(+)pi(-) using a data sample of 519 fb(-1) recorded with the BABAR detector operating at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider at center-of-mass energies at and near the Upsilon(nS) (n = 2, 3, 4) resonances. This is the first observation of the decay eta(c)-> eta'K+K- and we measure the branching fraction Gamma (eta(c) -> eta' K+K- )/(Gamma(eta(c) -> eta'pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.644 +/- 0.039(stat) +/- 0.032(sys). Significant interference is observed between gamma gamma ->eta(c)->eta pi(+)pi(-) and the nonresonant two-photon process gamma gamma -> eta pi(+)pi(-). A Dalitz plot analysis is performed of eta(c) decays to eta'K+K-, eta'pi(+)pi(-) and eta pi(+)pi(-). Combined with our previous analysis of eta(c) -> K (K) over bar pi, we measure the K-0*(1430) parameters and the ratio between its eta'K and pi K couplings. The decay eta(c) -> eta'pi(+)pi(-) is dominated by the f(0)(2100) resonance, also observed in J/psi radiative decays. A new a(0) (1700) -> eta pi resonance is observed in the eta(c) -> eta pi(+)pi(-) channel. We also compare eta(c) decays to eta and eta' final states in association with scalar mesons as they relate to the identification of the scalar glueball.

Abstract: The first observations of B-0 -> (D) over bar*(2007)K-0(+)pi(-) and B-s(0) -> (D) over bar*(2007)K-0(-)pi(+) decays are presented, and their branching fractions relative to that of the B ->( D) over bar* (2007)(0)pi(+)pi(-) decay are reported. These modes can potentially be used to investigate the spectroscopy of charm and charm-strange resonances and to determine the angle gamma of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle. It is also important to understand them as a source of potential background in determinations of gamma from B+ -> DK+ and B-0 -> DK+pi(-) decays. The analysis is based on a sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb(-1 )of proton-proton collision data at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy recorded with the LHCb detector. The (D) over bar*(2007)(0) mesons are fully reconstructed in the (D) over bar (0)pi(0) and (D) over bar (0)gamma channels with the (D) over bar (0) -> K+pi(-) decay. A novel weighting method is used to subtract background while simultaneously applying an event-by-event efficiency correction to account for resonant structures in the decays.

Abstract: A precision measurement of the Z boson production cross-section at root s = 13 TeV in the forward region is presented, using pp collision data collected by the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 fb(-1). The production cross-section is measured using Z -> mu(+)mu(-) events within the fiducial region defined as pseudorapidity 2.0 < eta < 4.5 and transverse momentum p(T) > 20 GeV/c for both muons and dimuon invariant mass 60 < M-mu μ< 120 GeV/c(2). The integrated cross-section is determined to be sigma(Z -> mu(+)mu(-)) = 196.4 +/- 0.2 +/- 1.6 +/- 3.9 pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. The measured results are in agreement with theoretical predictions within uncertainties.