The production of Upsilon(1S), Upsilon(2S) and Upsilon(3S) mesons decaying into the dimuon final state is studied with the LHCb detector using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.3 pb^{-1} collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt{s}=2.76 TeV. The differential production cross-sections times dimuon branching fractions are measured as functions of the Upsilon transverse momentum and rapidity, over the ranges p_T<15 GeV/c and 2.0<y<4.5. The total cross-sections in this kinematic region, assuming unpolarised production, are measured to be sigma(pp -> Upsilon(1S) X) x B(Upsilon(1S) -> mu+mu-) = 1.111 +/- 0.043 +/- 0.044 nb, sigma(pp -> Upsilon(2S) X) x B(Upsilon(2S) -> mu+mu-) = 0.264 +/- 0.023 +/- 0.011 nb, sigma(pp -> Upsilon(3S) X) x B(Upsilon(3S) -> mu+mu-) = 0.159 +/- 0.020 +/- 0.007 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
The first observation of $Z$ boson production in proton-lead collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per proton-nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5~\text{TeV}$ is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $1.6~\text{nb}^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb detector. The $Z$ candidates are reconstructed from pairs of oppositely charged muons with pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5 and transverse momenta above $20~\text{GeV}/c$. The invariant dimuon mass is restricted to the range $60-120~\text{GeV}/c^2$. The $Z$ production cross-section is measured to be \begin{eqnarray*} \sigma_{Z\to\mu^+\mu^-}(\text{fwd})&=&13.5^{+5.4}_{-4.0}\text{(stat.)}\pm1.2\text{(syst.)}~\text{nb} \end{eqnarray*} in the direction of the proton beam and \begin{eqnarray*} \sigma_{Z\to\mu^+\mu^-}(\text{bwd}) & =&10.7^{+8.4}_{-5.1}\text{(stat.)}\pm1.0\text{(syst.)}~\text{nb} \end{eqnarray*} in the direction of the lead beam, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
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 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 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.
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.
An angular analysis of the decay $J/\psi \rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-}$ is performed to measure the polarization of prompt $J/\psi$ mesons produced in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7\; \mathrm{TeV}$. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 0.37 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the LHCb detector. The measurement is presented as a function of transverse momentum, $p_\mathrm{T}$, and rapidity, $y$, of the $J/\psi$ meson, in the kinematic region $2 < p_\mathrm{T} < 15\; \mathrm{GeV}/c$ and $2.0<y<4.5$.
The product of the $\Lambda_b^0$ ($\overline{B}^0$) differential production cross-section and the branching fraction of the decay $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-$ ($\overline{B}^0\rightarrow J/\psi\overline{K}^*(892)^0$) is measured as a function of the beauty hadron transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, and rapidity, $y$. The kinematic region of the measurements is $p_{\rm T}<20~{\rm GeV}/c$ and $2.0<y<4.5$. The measurements use a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $3~{\rm fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb detector in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}=7~{\rm TeV}$ in 2011 and $\sqrt{s}=8~{\rm TeV}$ in 2012. Based on previous LHCb results of the fragmentation fraction ratio, $f_{\Lambda_B^0}/f_d$, the branching fraction of the decay $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-$ is measured to be \begin{equation*} \mathcal{B}(\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-)= (3.17\pm0.04\pm0.07\pm0.34^{+0.45}_{-0.28})\times10^{-4}, \end{equation*} where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, the third is due to the uncertainty on the branching fraction of the decay $\overline{B}^0\rightarrow J/\psi\overline{K}^*(892)^0$, and the fourth is due to the knowledge of $f_{\Lambda_b^0}/f_d$. The sum of the asymmetries in the production and decay between $\Lambda_b^0$ and $\overline{\Lambda}_b^0$ is also measured as a function of $p_{\rm T}$ and $y$. The previously published branching fraction of $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi p\pi^-$, relative to that of $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow J/\psi pK^-$, is updated. The branching fractions of $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow P_c^+(\rightarrow J/\psi p)K^-$ are determined.
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 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.