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.
We report the first measurement of the cross section for Z boson pair production at a hadron collider. This result is based on a data sample corresponding to 1.9 fb-1 of integrated luminosity from ppbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. In the llll channel, we observe three ZZ candidates with an expected background of 0.096^{+0.092}_{-0.063} events. In the llnunu channel, we use a leading-order calculation of the relative ZZ and WW event probabilities to discriminate between signal and background. In the combination of llll and llnunu channels, we observe an excess of events with a probability of $5.1\times 10^{-6}$ to be due to the expected background. This corresponds to a significance of 4.4 standard deviations. The measured cross section is sigma(ppbar -> ZZ) = 1.4^{+0.7}_{-0.6} (stat.+syst.) pb, consistent with the standard model expectation.
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 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 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.
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.
We present a measurement of the cross section and the first measurement of the heavy flavor content of associated direct photon + muon events produced in hadronic collisions. These measurements come from a sample of 1.8 TeV ppbar collisions recorded with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) predicts that these events are primarily due to Compton scattering process charm+gluon -> charm+photon, with the final state charm quark producing a muon. The cross section for events with a photon transverse momentum between 12 and 40 GeV/c is measured to be 46.8+-6.3+-7.5 pb, which is two standard deviations below the most recent theoretical prediction. A significant fraction of the events in the sample contain a final-state bottom quark. The ratio of charm to bottom production is measured to be 2.4+-1.2, in good agreement with QCD models.
The charged-particle production ratios $\bar{p}/p$, $K^-/K^+$, $\pi^-/\pi^+$, $(p + \bar{p})/(\pi^+ + \pi^-)$, $(K^+ + K^-)/(\pi^+ + \pi^-)$ and $(p + \bar{p})/(K^+ + K^-)$ are measured with the LHCb detector using $0.3 {\rm nb^{-1}}$ of $pp$ collisions delivered by the LHC at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$ TeV and $1.8 {\rm nb^{-1}}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV. The measurements are performed as a function of transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}$ and pseudorapidity $\eta$. The production ratios are compared to the predictions of several Monte Carlo generator settings, none of which are able to describe adequately all observables. The ratio $\bar{p}/p$ is also considered as a function of rapidity loss, $\Delta y \equiv y_{\rm beam} - y$, and is used to constrain models of baryon transport.
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.
The $\bar{\Lambda} / \Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda} / K^0_\mathrm{S}$ production ratios are measured by the LHCb detector from $0.3\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions delivered by the LHC at $\sqrt{s} = 0.9$\,TeV and $1.8\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} = 7$\,TeV. Both ratios are presented as a function of transverse momentum, $p_\mathrm{T}$, and rapidity, $y$, in the ranges {$0.15 < p_\mathrm{T} < 2.50\,\mathrm{GeV}/c$} and {$2.0<y<4.5$}. Results at the two energies are in good agreement as a function of rapidity loss, $\Delta y = y_\mathrm{beam} - y$, and are consistent with previous measurements. The ratio $\bar{\Lambda} / \Lambda$, measuring the transport of baryon number from the collision into the detector, is smaller in data than predicted in simulation, particularly at high rapidity. The ratio $\bar{\Lambda} / K^0_\mathrm{S}$, measuring the baryon-to-meson suppression in strange quark hadronisation, is significantly larger than expected.
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