The polarisation of prompt $\psi(2S)$ mesons is measured by performing an angular analysis of $\psi(2S)\rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-}$ decays using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The polarisation is measured in bins of transverse momentum $p_\mathrm{T}$ and rapidity $y$ in the kinematic region $3.5<p_\mathrm{T}<15$ GeV$/c$ and $2.0<y<4.5$, and is compared to theoretical models. No significant polarisation is observed.
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.
Charged particle multiplicities are studied in proton-proton collisions in the forward region at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7\;$TeV with data collected by the LHCb detector. The forward spectrometer allows access to a kinematic range of $2.0<\eta<4.8$ in pseudorapidity, momenta down to $2\;$GeV/$c$ and transverse momenta down to $0.2\;$GeV/$c$. The measurements are performed using minimum-bias events with at least one charged particle in the kinematic acceptance. The results are presented as functions of pseudorapidity and transverse momentum and are compared to predictions from several Monte Carlo event generators.
The cross-section for inelastic proton-proton collisions, with at least one prompt long-lived charged particle of transverse momentum $p_{\rm T}>0.2$ GeV/$c$ in the pseudorapidity range $2.0<\eta<4.5$, is measured by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV. The cross-section in this kinematic range is determined to be $\sigma_{\rm inel}^{\rm acc} = 55.0 \pm 2.4$ mb within the spectrometer acceptance with an experimental uncertainty that is dominated by systematic contributions. Extrapolation to the full phase space, using PYTHIA 6, yields $\sigma_{\rm inel} = 66.9 \pm 2.9 \pm 4.4$ mb, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second is due to the extrapolation.
A study of $\chi_{b}$ meson production at LHCb is performed on proton-proton collision data, corresponding to 3.0fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected at centre-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8TeV. The fraction of $\Upsilon(nS)$ mesons originating from $\chi_{b}$ decays is measured as a function of the $\Upsilon$ transverse momentum in the rapidity range $2.0 < y^{\Upsilon} < 4.5$. The radiative transition of the $\chi_{b}(3P)$ meson to $\Upsilon(3S)$ is observed for the first time. The $\chi_{b1}(3P)$ mass is determined to be $$m(\chi_{b1}(3P)) = 10\,511.3 \pm 1.7 \pm 2.5 MeV/c^2,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.
A search for associated production of a $Z$ boson with an open charm meson is presented using a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\mathrm{fb}^{-`}$ of proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7\,TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment. %% Seven candidate events for associated production of a $Z$ boson with a $D^0$ meson and four candidate events for a $Z$ boson with a $D^+$ meson are observed with a combined significance of 5.1standard deviations. The production cross-sections in the forward region are measured to be $$\sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-\!,D^0} = 2.50\pm1.12\pm0.22pb$$ $$\sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-\!,D^+} = 0.44\pm0.23\pm0.03pb,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
Production of $B_c^+$ mesons in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV is studied with data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $2.0~{\rm fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of production cross-sections times branching fractions between the $B_c^+\to J/\psi \pi^+$ and $B^+\to J/\psi K^+$ decays is measured as a function of transverse momentum and rapidity in the regions $0 < p_{\rm T} < 20~{\rm GeV}/c$ and $2.0 < y < 4.5$. The ratio in this kinematic range is measured to be $(0.683\pm0.018\pm0.009)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
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 $\chi_b$ mesons in proton-proton collisions is studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb detector, at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=7$ and $8$ TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$. The $\chi_b$ mesons are identified through their decays to $\Upsilon(1S)\gamma$ and $\Upsilon(2S)\gamma$ using photons that converted to $e^+e^-$ pairs in the detector. The relative prompt production rate of $\chi_{b1}(1P)$ and $\chi_{b2}(1P)$ mesons is measured as a function of the $\Upsilon(1S)$ transverse momentum in the $\chi_b$ rapidity range $2.0<y<4.5$. A precise measurement of the $\chi_b(3P)$ mass is also performed. Assuming a mass splitting between the $\chi_{b1}(3P)$ and the $\chi_{b2}(3P)$ states of 10.5 MeV/$c^2$, the measured mass of the $\chi_{b1}(3P)$ meson is $ m(\chi_{b1}(3P))= 10515.7^{+2.2}_{-3.9}(stat) ^{+1.5}_{-2.1}(syst) MeV/c^2.$
A measurement of the cross-section for Z-boson production in the forward region of pp collisions at 8TeV centre-of-mass energy is presented. The measurement is based on a sample of $\rm Z\rightarrow e^+e^-$ decays reconstructed using the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0fb$^{-1}$. The acceptance is defined by the requirements $2.0<\eta<4.5$ and $p_{\rm T}>20$GeV for the pseudorapidities and transverse momenta of the leptons. Their invariant mass is required to lie in the range 60--120GeV. The cross-section is determined to be $$ \sigma({\rm pp\to Z\to e^+e^-})=93.81\pm0.41({\rm stat})\pm1.48({\rm syst})\pm1.14({\rm lumi})\;{\rm pb}\,,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second reflects all systematic effects apart from that arising from the luminosity, which is given as the third uncertainty. Differential cross-sections are presented as functions of the Z-boson rapidity and of the angular variable $\phi^*$, which is related to the Z-boson transverse momentum.
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