This letter reports the full reconstruction of B mesons through the decay chain B±→J/ψ K±, J/ψ→μ+μ−, using data obtained at the Collider Detector at Fermilab in p¯p collisions at √s =1.8 TeV. This exclusive sample, the first observed at a hadron collider, is then used to measure the B-meson cross section, from which we extract the b-quark cross section. We obtain σ=2.8±0.9 (stat) ±1.1(syst) μb for B− mesons with PT>9.0 GeV/c and rapidity ‖y‖<1.0. We obtain σ=6.1±1.9(stat) ±2.4(syst) μb, for b quarks with transverse momentum PT>11.5 GeV/c and rapidity ‖y‖<1.0.
B-meson cross section.
B-quark cross section.