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.
The production cross-sections of B mesons are measured in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, using data collected with the LHCb detector corresponding to a integrated luminosity of 0.36 fb-1. The B+, B0 and Bs0 mesons are reconstructed in the exclusive decays B+ -> J/psi K+, B0 -> J/psi K*0 and Bs0 -> J/psi phi, with J/psi -> mu+ mu-, K*0 -> K+ pi- and phi -> K+ K-. The differential cross-sections are measured as functions of B meson transverse momentum pT and rapidity y, in the range 0 < pT < 40 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The integrated cross-sections in the same pT and y ranges, including charge-conjugate states, are measured to be sigma(pp -> B+ + X) = 38.9 +- 0.3 (stat.) +- 2.5 (syst.) +- 1.3 (norm.) mub, sigma(pp -> B0 + X) = 38.1 +- 0.6 (stat.) +- 3.7 (syst.) +- 4.7 (norm.) mub, sigma(pp -> Bs0 + X) = 10.5 +- 0.2 (stat.) +- 0.8 (syst.) +- 1.0 (norm.) mub, where the third uncertainty arises from the pre-existing branching fraction measurements.
A precision measurement of the $Z$ boson production cross-section at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ 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 $Z\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-$ 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 $60<M_{\mu\mu}<120$ GeV/$c^2$. The integrated cross-section is determined to be $\sigma (Z \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^-)$ = 196.4 $\pm$ 0.2 $\pm$ 1.6 $\pm$ 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.
The production of J/psi and Upsilon mesons in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector. The J/psi and Upsilon mesons are reconstructed in the mu+mu- decay mode and the signal yields are determined with a fit to the mu+mu- invariant mass distributions. The analysis is performed in the rapidity range 2.0<y<4.5 and transverse momentum range 0<p_T<14(15) GeV/c of the J/psi(Upsilon) mesons. The J/psi and Upsilon production cross-sections and the fraction of J/psi mesons from b-hadron decays are measured as a function of the meson p_T and y.
The production of $J/\psi$ mesons with rapidity $1.5<y<4.0$ or $-5.0<y<-2.5$ and transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}<14 \mathrm{GeV}/c$ is studied with the LHCb detector in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5 \mathrm{TeV}$. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about $1.6 \mathrm{nb}^{-1}$. For the first time the nuclear modification factor and forward-backward production ratio are determined separately for prompt $J/\psi$ mesons and $J/\psi$ from $b$-hadron decays. Clear suppression of prompt $J/\psi$ production with respect to proton-proton collisions at large rapidity is observed, while the production of $J/\psi$ from $b$-hadron decays is less suppressed. These results show good agreement with available theoretical predictions. The measurement shows that cold nuclear matter effects are important for interpretations of the related quark-gluon plasma signatures in heavy-ion collisions.
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.
The production cross-sections of $J/\psi$ mesons in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=5$ TeV are measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9.13\pm0.18~\text{pb}^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment. The cross-sections are measured differentially as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\text{T}}$, and rapidity, $y$, and separately for $J/\psi$ mesons produced promptly and from beauty hadron decays (nonprompt). With the assumption of unpolarised $J/\psi$ mesons, the production cross-sections integrated over the kinematic range $0<p_{\text{T}}<20~\text{GeV}/c$ and $2.0<y<4.5$ are $8.154\pm0.010\pm0.283~\mu\text{b}$ for prompt $J/\psi$ mesons and $0.820\pm0.003\pm0.034~\mu\text{b}$ for nonprompt $J/\psi$ mesons, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These cross-sections are compared with those at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV and $13$ TeV, and are used to update the measurement of the nuclear modification factor in proton-lead collisions for $J/\psi$ mesons at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}=5$ TeV. The results are compared with theoretical predictions.
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.
The production of $J/\psi$ mesons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$= 7 tev is studied with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The differential cross-section for prompt $J/\psi$ production is measured as a function of the $J/\psi$ transverse momentum p_{\rm T}\ and rapidity $y$ in the fiducial region $p_{\rm T}\in[0;14]$ GeV/c and $y\in[2.0;4.5]$. The differential cross-section and fraction of \j psi\ from $b$-hadron decays are also measured in the same p_{\rm T}\ and $y$ range s. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminos ity of 5.2 pb$^{-1}$. The measured cross-sections integrated over the fiducial region are $10.52\pm 0. 04\pm 1.40^{+1.64}_{-2.20}\mu b$ for $\mathrm{prompt}~J/\psi$ production and $1.14 \pm 0. 01\pm 0.16 \mu b$ for $J/\psi$ from $b$-hadron decays, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The $\mathrm{prompt}~J/\psi$ production cross-section is obtained assuming no $J/\psi$ polarisation and the third error indicates the acceptance uncertainty due to this assumption.
The production of Upsilon(1S), Upsilon(2S) and Upsilon(3S) mesons in proton-proton collisions at the centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=7 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector. The analysis is based on a data sample of 25 pb-1 collected at the Large Hadron Collider. The Upsilon mesons are reconstructed in the decay mode Upsilon -> mu+ mu- and the signal yields are extracted from a fit to the mu+ mu- invariant mass distributions. The differential production cross-sections times dimuon branching fractions are measured as a function of the Upsilon transverse momentum pT and rapidity y, over the range pT < 15 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The cross-sections times branching fractions, integrated over these kinematic ranges, are measured to be sigma(pp -> Upsilon(1S) X) x B(Upsilon(1S)->mu+ mu-) = 2.29 {\pm} 0.01 {\pm} 0.10 -0.37 +0.19 nb, sigma(pp -> Upsilon(2S) X) x B(Upsilon(2S)->mu+ mu-) = 0.562 {\pm} 0.007 {\pm} 0.023 -0.092 +0.048 nb, sigma(pp -> Upsilon(3S) X) x B(Upsilon(3S)->mu+ mu-) = 0.283 {\pm} 0.005 {\pm} 0.012 -0.048 +0.025 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is due to the unknown polarisation of the three Upsilon states.