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.
Relative uncertainty for the integrated $Z -> \mu^{+} \mu^{-}$ cross-section measurement. The total uncertainty is the quadratic sum of uncertainties from statistical, systematic and luminosity contributions.
Final state radiation correction used in the $y^{Z}$ cross-section measurement. The first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.
Final state radiation correction used in the $p_{T}^{Z}$ cross-section measurement. The first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.
An exotic narrow state in the $D^0D^0\pi^+$ mass spectrum just below the $D^{*+}D^0$ mass threshold is studied using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{-1}$ acquired with the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The state is consistent with the ground isoscalar $T^+_{cc}$ tetraquark with a quark content of $cc\bar{u}\bar{d}$ and spin-parity quantum numbers $\mathrm{J}^{\mathrm{P}}=1^+$. Study of the $DD$ mass spectra disfavours interpretation of the resonance as the isovector state. The decay structure via intermediate off-shell $D^{*+}$ mesons is confirmed by the $D^0\pi^+$ mass distribution. The mass of the resonance and its coupling to the $D^{*}D$ system are analysed. Resonance parameters including the pole position, scattering length, effective range and compositeness are measured to reveal important information about the nature of the $T^+_{cc}$ state. In addition, an unexpected dependence of the production rate on track multiplicity is observed.
Distribution of $D^0 D^0 \pi^+$ mass where the contribution of the non-$D^0$ background has been statistically subtracted. Uncertainties on the data points are statistical only and represent one standard deviation, calculated as a sum in quadrature of the assigned weights from the background-subtraction procedure.
Mass distribution for $D^0 \pi^+$ pairs from selected $D^0 D^0 \pi^+$ candidates with a mass below the $D^{*+}D^0$ mass threshold with non-$D^0$ background subtracted. Uncertainties on the data points are statistical only and represent one standard deviation, calculated as a sum in quadrature of the assigned weights from the background-subtraction procedure.
$D^0 D^0$~mass distributions for selected candidates with the $D^0$ background subtracted. Uncertainties on the data points are statistical only and represent one standard deviation, calculated as a sum in quadrature of the assigned weights from the background-subtraction procedure.
The Standard Model of particle physics currently provides our best description of fundamental particles and their interactions. The theory predicts that the different charged leptons, the electron, muon and tau, have identical electroweak interaction strengths. Previous measurements have shown a wide range of particle decays are consistent with this principle of lepton universality. This article presents evidence for the breaking of lepton universality in beauty-quark decays, with a significance of 3.1 standard deviations, based on proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are of processes in which a beauty meson transforms into a strange meson with the emission of either an electron and a positron, or a muon and an antimuon. If confirmed by future measurements, this violation of lepton universality would imply physics beyond the Standard Model, such as a new fundamental interaction between quarks and leptons.
Likelihood function from the fit to the nonresonant $B^+$ --> $K^+\ell^+ \ell^−$ candidates profiled as a function of $R_K$.