Abstract: The slowdown of Moore's law and the growing requirements of future HEP experiments with ever-increasing data rates pose important computational challenges for data reconstruction and trigger systems, encouraging the exploration of new computing methodologies. In this work we discuss a FPGA-based tracking system, relying on a massively parallel pattern recognition approach, inspired by the processing of visual images by the natural brain (“retina architecture”). This method allows a large efficiency of utilisation of the hardware, low power consumption and very low latencies. Based on this approach, a device has been designed within the LHCb Upgrade-II project, with the goal of performing track reconstruction in the forward acceptance region in real-time during the upcoming Run 4 of the LHC. This innovative device will perform track reconstruction before the event-building, in a short enough time to provide pre-reconstructed tracks (“primitives”) transparently to the processor farm, as if they had been generated directly by the detector. This allows significant savings in higher-level computing resources, enabling handling higher luminosities than otherwise possible. The feasibility of the project is backed up by the results of tests performed on a realistic hardware prototype, that has been opportunistically processing actual LHCb data in parallel with the regular DAQ in the LHC Run 3.

Abstract: A measurement of the ratios of the effective decay widths of D-0 -> pi(-)pi(+) and D-0 -> K- K+ decays over that of D-0 -> K-pi(+) decays is performed with the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb(-1). These observables give access to the charm mixing parameters y(CP)(pi pi) – y(CP)(K pi )and y(CP)(KK) -y(CP)(K pi), and are measured as y(CP)(pi pi) – y(CP)(K pi) = (6.57 +/- 0.53 +/- 0.16) x 10(-3), y(CP)(KK) – y(CP)(K pi) = (7.08 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.14) x 10(-3), where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The combination of the two measurements is Y-CP – y(CP)(K pi) = (6.96 +/- 0.26 +/- 0.13) x 10(-3), which is four times more precise than the previous world average.

Abstract: A measurement of mixing and CP violation in neutral charm mesons is performed using data reconstructed in proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment from 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb(-1). A total of 30.6 million D0 -> K-s(0)pi(+)pi(-) decays are analyzed using a method optimized for the measurement of the mass difference between neutral charmmeson eigenstates. Allowing for CP violation in mixing and in the interference between mixing and decay, the mass and decay-width differences are measured to be x(CP) = [3.97 +/- 0.46(stat) +/- 0.29(syst)] x 10(-3) and y(CP) = [4.59 +/- 1.20(stat) +/- 0.85(syst)] x 10(-3), respectively. The CP-violating parameters are measured as Delta x= [-0.27 +/- 0.18(stat)+/- 0.01(syst)] x 10 (-3) and Delta y = [0.20 +/- 0.36(stat) +/- 0.13(syst)] x 10(-3). This is the first observation of a nonzero mass difference in the D-0 meson system, with a significance exceeding seven standard deviations. The data are consistent with CP symmetry and improve existing constraints on the associated parameters.

Abstract: This article presents differential measurements of the asymmetry between Lambda(0)(b) and (Lambda) over bar (0)(b) baryon production rates in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of root s = 7 and 8 TeV collected with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). The Lambda(0)(b) baryons are reconstructed through the inclusive semileptonic decay Lambda(0)(b) -> Lambda(+)(c) mu(-)(nu) over bar X-mu. The production asymmetry is measured both in intervals of rapidity in the range 2:15 < y < 4:10 and transverse momentum in 2 < p T < 27 GeV/c. The results are found to be incompatible with symmetric production with a significance of 5.8 standard deviations for both root s = 7 and 8 TeV data, assuming no CP violation in the decay. There is evidence for a trend as a function of rapidity with a significance of 4 standard deviations. Comparisons to predictions from hadronisation models in Pythia and heavy-quark recombination are provided. This result constitutes the first observation of a particle-antiparticle asymmetry in b-hadron production at LHC energies.

Abstract: A search for CP violation in charmless three-body Xi(-)(b) -> pK(-)K(-) decays is performed using pp collision data recorded with the LHCb detector, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1 fb(-1) at a center-of-mass energy root S = 7 TeV, 2 fb(-1) at root S = 8 TeV and 2 fb(-1) at = 13 TeV. A good description of the phase-space distribution is obtained with an amplitude model containing contributions from Sigma(1385), Lambda(1405), Lambda(1520), Lambda(1670), Sigma(1775) and Sigma(1915) resonances. The model allows for CP violation effects, which are found to be consistent with zero. The branching fractions of Xi(-)(b) -> Sigma(1385)K-, Xi(-)(b) -> Lambda(1405)K-, Xi(-)(b) -> Lambda(1520)K-, Xi(-)(b) -> Lambda(1670)K-, Xi(-)(b) -> Sigma(1775)K- and Xi(-)(b) -> Sigma(1915)K- decays arc also reported. In addition, an upper limit is placed on the product of ratios of Omega(-)(b) and Xi(-)(b) fragmentation fractions and the Omega(-)(b) -> pK(-)K(-) and Xi(-)(b) -> pK(-)K(-) branching fractions.