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NEXT Collaboration(Henriques, C. A. O. et al), Alvarez, V., Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Botas, A., Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., et al. (2019). Electroluminescence TPCs at the thermal diffusion limit. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 027–23pp.
Abstract: The NEXT experiment aims at searching for the hypothetical neutrinoless double-beta decay from the Xe-136 isotope using a high-purity xenon TPC. Efficient discrimination of the events through pattern recognition of the topology of primary ionisation tracks is a major requirement for the experiment. However, it is limited by the diffusion of electrons. It is known that the addition of a small fraction of a molecular gas to xenon reduces electron diffusion. On the other hand, the electroluminescence (EL) yield drops and the achievable energy resolution may be compromised. We have studied the effect of adding several molecular gases to xenon (CO2, CH4 and CF4) on the EL yield and energy resolution obtained in a small prototype of driftless gas proportional scintillation counter. We have compared our results on the scintillation characteristics (EL yield and energy resolution) with a microscopic simulation, obtaining the diffusion coefficients in those conditions as well. Accordingly, electron diffusion may be reduced from about 10 for pure xenon down to 2.5 using additive concentrations of about 0.05%, 0.2% and 0.02% for CO2, CH4 and CF4, respectively. Our results show that CF4 admixtures present the highest EL yield in those conditions, but very poor energy resolution as a result of huge fluctuations observed in the EL formation. CH4 presents the best energy resolution despite the EL yield being the lowest. The results obtained with xenon admixtures are extrapolated to the operational conditions of the NEXT-100 TPC. CO2 and CH4 show potential as molecular additives in a large xenon TPC. While CO2 has some operational constraints, making it difficult to be used in a large TPC, CH4 shows the best performance and stability as molecular additive to be used in the NEXT-100 TPC, with an extrapolated energy resolution of 0.4% at 2.45 MeV for concentrations below 0.4%, which is only slightly worse than the one obtained for pure xenon. We demonstrate the possibility to have an electroluminescence TPC operating very close to the thermal diffusion limit without jeopardizing the TPC performance, if CO2 or CH4 are chosen as additives.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Evidence for the decay B-s(0) -> (K)over-bar(*0) mu(+)mu(-). J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 020–24pp.
Abstract: A search for the decay B-s(0) -> (K) over bar (*0) mu(+) mu(-) is presented using data sets corresponding to 1.0, 2.0 and 1.6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected during pp collisions with the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13TeV, respectively. An excess is found over the background-only hypothesis with a significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The branching fraction of the B-s(0) -> (K) over bar (*0) mu(+) mu(-) decay is determined to be B(B-s(0) -> (K) over bar (*0) mu(+) mu(-)) = [2.9 +/- 1.0 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst) +/- 0.3 (norm)] x 10(-8), where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The third uncertainty is due to limited knowledge of external parameters used to normalise the branching fraction measurement.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). First observation of B+ -> D-s(+) K+ K- decays and a search for B+ -> D-s(+) phi decays. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 131–22pp.
Abstract: A search for B+ -> D-s(+) K+ K- decays is performed using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb(-1), collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV with the LHCb experiment. A significant signal is observed for the first time and the branching fraction is determined to be B(B+ -> D-s(+) K+ K-) = (7.1 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.6 +/- 0.7) x 10(-6), where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third due to the uncertainty on the branching fraction of the normalisation mode B+ -> D-s(+)(D) over bar (0). A search is also performed for the pure annihilation decay B+ -> D-s(+)(D) over bar (0). No significant signal is observed and a limit of B(B+ -> D-s(+) phi) < 4.9 x 10(-7) (4.2 x 10(-7)) is set on the branching fraction at 95% (90%) confidence level.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Search for the lepton-flavour violating decays B-(s)(0) -> e(+/-) mu(-/+). J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 078–20pp.
Abstract: A search for the lepton-flavour violating decays B-(s)(0) -> e(+/-)mu(-/+) and B-(s)(0) -> e(+/-)mu(-/+) performed based on a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1), collected with the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8TeV. The observed yields are consistent with the background-only hypothesis. Upper limits on the branching fraction of the B-(s)(0) -> e(+/-)mu(-/+) decays are evaluated both in the hypotheses of an amplitude completely dominated by the heavy eigenstate and by the light eigenstate. The results are B(B-s(0) -> e(+/-)mu(-/+)) < 6.3 (5.4) x 10(-9) and B(B-s(0) -> e(+/-)mu(-/+)) < 7.2(6.0) x 10(-9) at 95% (90%) confidence level, respectively. The upper limit on the branching fraction of the B-0 -> e(+/-)mu(-/+) decay is also evaluated, obtaining B(B-0 -> e(+/-)mu(-/+)) < 1.3 (1.0) x 10(-9) at 95% (90%) confidence level. These are the strongest limits on these decays to date.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2017). Test of lepton universality with B-0 -> K*(0)l(+)l(-) decays. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 055–31pp.
Abstract: A test of lepton universality, performed by measuring the ratio of the branching fractions of the B-0 -> K*(0)mu(+) mu(-) and B-0 -> K*e(+)e(-) decays, R-K*0, is presented. The K*(0) meson is reconstructed in the final state K+pi(-), which is required to have an invariant mass within 100 MeV/c(2) of the known K*(892)(0) mass. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 3 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio is measured in two regions of the dilepton invariant mass squared, q(2), to be R-K*0 – {0.66(-0.007)(+0.11)(stat) +/- 0.03(syst) for 0.045 < q(2) < GeV2/c(4), 0.69(-0.07)(+0.11)(stat) +/- 0.05(syst) for 1.1 < q(2) < 6.0 GeV2/c(4). The corresponding 95.4% confidence level intervals are [0.52, 0.89] and [0.53, 0.94]. The results, which represent the most precise measurements of R-K*0 to date, are compatible with the Standard Model expectations at the level of 2.1-2.3 and 2.4-2.5 standard deviations in the two q(2) regions, respectively.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., et al. (2017). Observation of the suppressed decay Lambda(0)(b) -> p pi(-) mu(+) mu(-). J. High Energy Phys., 04(4), 029–16pp.
Abstract: The suppressed decay Lambda(0)(b) -> p pi(-) mu(+) mu(-), excluding the J/psi and psi(2S) -> mu(+) mu(-) resonances, is observed for the first time with a significance of 5.5 standard deviations. The analysis is performed with proton- proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb experiment. The Lambda(0)(b) -> p pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) branching fraction is measured relative to the Lambda(0)(b) -> J/psi (-> mu(+) mu(-)) p pi(-) branching fraction giving B (Lambda(0)(b) -> p pi(-) mu(+) mu(-))/B(Lambda(0)(b) -> J/psi (-> mu(+) mu(-)) p pi(-)) = 0.044 +/- 0.012 +/- 0.007, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This is the first observation of a b -> d transition in a baryonic decay.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., et al. (2017). Search for decays of neutral beauty mesons into four muons. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 001–19pp.
Abstract: A search for the non-resonant decays B-s(0) -> mu(+) mu(-) mu(+)mu(-) and B-0 -> mu(+) mu(-) mu(+) mu(-) is presented. The measurement is performed using the full Run 1 data set collected in proton-proton collisions by the LHCb experiment at the LHC. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 1 and 2 fb(-1) collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, respectively. No signal is observed and upper limits on the branching fractions of the non-resonant decays at 95% confidence level are determined to be B(B-s(0) -> mu(+) mu(-) mu(+)mu(-)) < 2.5 x 10(-9) B(B-0 -> mu(+) mu(-) mu(+) mu(-)) < 6.9 x 10(-10)
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., et al. (2016). Differential branching fraction and angular moments analysis of the decay B-0 -> K+pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) in the K-0,K-2*(1431:)(0) region. J. High Energy Phys., 12(12), 065–24pp.
Abstract: Measurements of the differential branching fraction and angular moments of the decay B-0 -> K+pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) in the K+pi(-) invariant mass range 1330 <m(K+pi(-)) < 1530 MeV/c(2) are presented. Proton-proton collision data are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment. Differential branching fraction measurements are reported in five bins of the invariant mass squared of the dimuon system, q(2), between 0.1 and 8.0 GeV2/c(4). For the first time, an angular analysis sensitive to the S-, P- and D-wave contributions of this rare decay is performed. The set of 40 normalised angular moments describing the decay is presented for the q(2) range 1.1-6.0 GeV2/c(4).
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., & Sanchez Mayordomo, C. (2016). Measurements of the S-wave fraction in B-0 -> K+ pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) decays and the B-0 -> K*(892)(0) mu(+) mu(-) differential branching fraction. J. High Energy Phys., 11(11), 047–30pp.
Abstract: A measurement of the differential branching fraction of the decay B-0 -> K* (892)(0) mu(+)mu(-) is presented together with a determination of the S-wave fraction of the K+ pi(-) system in the decay B-0 -> K+ pi-mu(+)mu(-). 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, q(2). Precise theoretical predictions for the differential branching fraction of B-0 -> K* (892)(0) mu(+) mu(-) decays are available for the q(2) region 1.1 < q(2) < 6.0 GeV2/c(4). In this q(2) region, for the K+pi(-) invariant mass range 796 < m(K pi) < 996MeV/c(2), the S-wave fraction of the K+pi(-) system in B-0 -> K+pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) decays is found to be F-S – 0.101 +/- 0.017(stat) +/- 0: 009(syst), and the differential branching fraction of B-0 -> K* (892)(0) mu(+)mu(-) decays is determined to be dB/dq(2) = (0.392(-0.019)(+ 0.020)(stat) +/- 0.010(syst) +/- 0.027(norm)) x 10(-7) c(4)/GeV2. The differential branching fraction measurements presented are the most precise to date and are found to be in agreement with Standard Model predictions.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Ruiz Valls, P., & Sanchez Mayordomo, C. (2016). Observations of Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda K+pi(-) and Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda K+K- decays and searches for other Lambda(0)(b) and Xi(0)(b) decays to Lambda h(+)h '(-) final states. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 081–22pp.
Abstract: A search is performed for the charmless three-body decays of the Lambda(0)(b) and Xi(0)(b) baryons to the final states Lambda h(+)h'(-), where h(') = pi or K. The analysis is based on a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb-1 of pp collisions, collected by the LHCb experiment. The Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda K+pi(-) and Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda K+K- decays are observed for the first time and their branching fractions and CP asymmetry parameters are measured. Evidence is seen for the Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda pi(+)pi(-) decay and limits are set on the branching fractions of Xi(0)(b) baryon decays to the Lambda h(+)h(-) final states.
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