A measurement of the $Z(\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$+jet production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. Results are shown with two jet transverse momentum thresholds, 10 and 20 GeV, for both the overall cross-section within the fiducial volume, and for six differential cross-section measurements. The fiducial volume requires that both the jet and the muons from the Z boson decay are produced in the forward direction ($2.0<\eta<4.5$). The results show good agreement with theoretical predictions at the second-order expansion in the coupling of the strong interaction.
Measurements of the cross-section for producing \bquark quarks in the reaction $pp\to b\bar{b} X$ are reported in 7 and 13 TeV collisions at the LHC as a function of the pseudorapidity $\eta$ in the range $2<\eta<5$ covered by the acceptance of the LHCb experiment. The measurements are done using semileptonic decays of $b$-flavored hadrons decaying into a ground-state charmed hadron in association with a muon. The cross-sections in the covered $\eta$ range are $72.0\pm 0.3\pm6.8~\mu$b and $144\pm 1\pm 21~\mu$b for 7 and 13 TeV. The ratio is $2.00\pm0.02\pm0.26$, where the quoted uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The agreement with theoretical expectation is good at 7 TeV, but differs somewhat at 13 TeV. The measured ratio of cross-sections is larger at lower $\eta$ than the model prediction.
Forward top quark pair production is studied in $pp$ collisions in the $\mu eb$ final state using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.93 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The cross-section is measured in a fiducial region where both leptons have a transverse momentum greater than 20 GeV and a pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The quadrature sum of the azimuthal separation and the difference in pseudorapidities, denoted $\Delta R$, between the two leptons must be larger than 0.1. The $b$-jet axis is required to be separated from both leptons by a $\Delta R$ of 0.5, and to have a transverse momentum in excess of 20 GeV and a pseudorapidity between 2.2 and 4.2. The cross-section is measured to be $$\sigma_{t\bar{t}}= 126\pm19\,(\mathrm{stat})\pm16\,(\mathrm{syst})\pm5\,(\mathrm{lumi})\,\,\mathrm{ fb}$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. The measurement is compatible with the Standard Model prediction.
The differential cross-section as a function of rapidity has been measured for the exclusive production of $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2S)$ mesons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, using data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 930 pb$^{-1}$. The cross-sections times branching fractions to two muons having pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5 are measured to be $$\begin{array}{rl} \sigma_{pp\rightarrow J/\psi\rightarrow{\mu^+}{\mu^-}}(2.0<\eta_{\mu^\pm }<4.5)=&291\pm 7\pm19 {\rm \ pb},\\ \sigma_{pp\rightarrow\psi(2S)\rightarrow{\mu^+}{\mu^-}}(2.0<\eta_{\mu^\pm}<4.5)=&6.5\pm 0.9\pm 0.4 {\rm \ pb},\end{array}$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The measurements agree with next-to-leading order QCD predictions as well as with models that include saturation effects.
The production of K_short mesons in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 0.9 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The luminosity of the analysed sample is determined using a novel technique, involving measurements of the beam currents, sizes and positions, and is found to be 6.8 +/- 1.0 microbarn^-1. The differential prompt K_short production cross-section is measured as a function of the K_short transverse momentum and rapidity in the region 0 < pT < 1.6 GeV/c and 2.5 < y < 4.0. The data are found to be in reasonable agreement with previous measurements and generator expectations.
The production of $J/\psi$ pairs in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV has been observed using an integrated luminosity of $37.5 pb^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb detector. The production cross-section for pairs with both \jpsi in the rapidity range $2<y^{J/\psi}<4.5$ and transverse momentum $p_{T}^{J/\psi}<10 GeV/c$ is $$ \sigma^{J/\psi J/\psi} = 5.1\pm1.0\pm1.1 nb,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
The production of B+- mesons in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV is studied using 35 pb-1 of data collected by the LHCb detector. The B+- mesons are reconstructed exclusively in the B+- -> J/psi K+- mode, with J/psi -> mu+ mu-. The differential production cross-section is measured as a function of the B+- transverse momentum in the fiducial region 0 < pT < 40 GeV/c and with rapidity 2.0 < y < 4.5. The total cross-section, summing up B+ and B-, is measured to be sigma(pp -> B+- X, 0 < pT < 40 GeV/c, 2.0 < y < 4.5) = 41.4 +- 1.5 (stat.) +- 3.1 (syst.) mub.
The cross-section for inclusive phi meson production in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV has been measured with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The differential cross-section is measured as a function of the phi transverse momentum p_T and rapidity y in the region 0.6 < p_T < 5.0 GeV/c and 2.44 < y < 4.06. The cross-section for inclusive phi production in this kinematic range is sigma(pp -> phi X) = 1758 pm 19(stat) ^{+43}_{-14}(syst) pm 182(scale) microbarn, where the first systematic uncertainty depends on the p_T and y region and the second is related to the overall scale. Predictions based on the Pythia 6.4 generator underestimate the cross-section.
Exclusive $J/\psi$ and $\psi(2S)$ vector meson production has been observed in the dimuon channel using the LHCb detector. The cross-section times branching fractions to two muons with pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5 are measured to be \begin{equation*} \sigma_{pp\rightarrow J/\psi (\rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-})} (2.0 <\eta_{\mu^{\pm}}< 4.5) = 307 \pm 21 \pm 36~\text{pb}, \end{equation*} \begin{equation*} \sigma_{pp\rightarrow \psi(2S) (\rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-})} (2.0 <\eta_{\mu^{\pm}}< 4.5) = 7.8 \pm 1.3 \pm 1.0~\text{pb}, \end{equation*} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The measurements are found to be in good agreement with results from previous experiments and theoretical predictions. The $J/\psi$ photoproduction cross-section has been measured as a function of the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy. The results are consistent with measurements obtained at HERA and confirm a similar power law behaviour for the photoproduction cross-section.
A measurement of the cross-section for pp$ \rightarrow$Z$ \rightarrow$e$^+$e$^-$ is presented using data at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.94 fb$^{-1}$. The process is measured within the kinematic acceptance $p_{\mathrm{T}}>20$GeV/$c$ and $2<\eta<4.5$ for the daughter electrons and dielectron invariant mass in the range 60-120 GeV/$c^2$. The cross-section is determined to be $$\sigma(pp \rightarrow Z \rightarrow e^+ e^- )=76.0\pm0.8\pm2.0\pm2.6{\rm pb}$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is the uncertainty in the luminosity. The measurement is performed as a function of Z rapidity and as a function of an angular variable which is closely related to the Z transverse momentum. The results are compared with previous LHCb measurements and with theoretical predictions from QCD.