The production fractions of $\overline{B}_s^0$ and $\Lambda_b^0$ hadrons, normalized to the sum of $B^-$ and $\overline{B}^0$ fractions, are measured in 13 TeV pp collisions using data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.67/fb. These ratios, averaged over the $b$-hadron transverse momenta from 4 to 25 GeV and pseudorapidity from 2 to 5, are $0.122 \pm 0.006$ for $\overline{B}_s^0$, and $0.259 \pm 0.018$ for $\Lambda_b^0$, where the uncertainties arise from both statistical and systematic sources. The $\Lambda_b^0$ ratio depends strongly on transverse momentum, while the $\overline{B}_s^0$ ratio shows a mild dependence. Neither ratio shows variations with pseudorapidity. The measurements are made using semileptonic decays to minimize theoretical uncertainties. In addition, the ratio of $D^+$ to $D^0$ mesons produced in the sum of $\overline{B}^0$ and $B^-$ semileptonic decays is determined as $0.359\pm0.006\pm 0.009$, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic.
This article presents differential measurements of the asymmetry between $\Lambda_b^0$ and $\overline{\Lambda}_b^0$ baryon production rates in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}=7$ and $8\,\textrm{TeV}$ collected with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $3\,\textrm{fb}^{-1}$. The $\Lambda_b^0$ baryons are reconstructed through the inclusive semileptonic decay $\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow\Lambda_c^+\mu^-\overline{\nu}_{\mu}X$. The production asymmetry is measured both in intervals of rapidity in the range $2.15<y<4.10$ and transverse momentum in $2<p_T<27\,\textrm{GeV}/c$. The results are found to be incompatible with symmetric production with a significance of 5.8 standard deviations for both $\sqrt{s}=7$ and $8\,\textrm{TeV}$ data, assuming no $C\!P$ violation in the decay. There is evidence for a trend as a function of rapidity with a significance of 4 standard deviations. Comparisons to predictions from hadronisation models in PYTHIA and heavy-quark recombination are provided. This result constitutes the first observation of a particle-antiparticle asymmetry in $b$-hadron production at LHC energies.
The production of $B^{\pm}$ mesons is studied in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 13 TeV, using $B^{\pm}\rightarrow J/\psi K^{\pm}$ decays and data samples corresponding to 1.0 fb$^{-1}$ and 0.3 fb$^{-1}$, respectively. The production cross-sections summed over both charges and integrated over the transverse momentum range $0<p_{\text{T}}< 40$ GeV/$c$ and the rapidity range $2.0<y<4.5$ are measured to be $\sigma(pp \rightarrow B^{\pm} X, \sqrt{s} = \text{7 TeV}) = 43.0 \pm 0.2 \pm 2.5 \pm 1.7\mu b,$ $\sigma(pp \rightarrow B^{\pm} X, \sqrt{s} = \text{13 TeV}) = 86.6 \pm 0.5 \pm 5.4 \pm 3.4\mu b,$ where the first uncertainties are statistical, the second are systematic, and the third are due to the limited knowledge of the $B^{\pm}\rightarrow J/\psi K^{\pm}$ branching fraction. The ratio of the cross-section at 13 TeV to that at 7 TeV is determined to be $2.02\pm0.02\text{(stat)}\pm0.12\text{(syst)}$. Differential cross-sections are also reported as functions of $p_{\text{T}}$ and $y$. All results are in agreement with theoretical calculations based on the state-of-art fixed next-to-leading order quantum chromodynamics.
The differential cross-section of prompt inclusive production of long-lived charged particles in proton-proton collisions is measured using a data sample recorded by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of ${\sqrt{s} = 13\,\mathrm{TeV}}$. The data sample, collected with an unbiased trigger, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of ${5.4\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}}$. The differential cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum and pseudorapidity in the ranges ${p_\mathrm{T} \in [0.08, 10)\,\mathrm{GeV}\,c^{-1}}$ and ${\eta \in [2.0, 4.8)}$ and is determined separately for positively and negatively charged particles. The results are compared with predictions from various hadronic-interaction models.
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.
The production cross-sections of $J/\psi$ mesons in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=5$ TeV are measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9.13\pm0.18~\text{pb}^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment. The cross-sections are measured differentially as a function of transverse momentum, $p_{\text{T}}$, and rapidity, $y$, and separately for $J/\psi$ mesons produced promptly and from beauty hadron decays (nonprompt). With the assumption of unpolarised $J/\psi$ mesons, the production cross-sections integrated over the kinematic range $0<p_{\text{T}}<20~\text{GeV}/c$ and $2.0<y<4.5$ are $8.154\pm0.010\pm0.283~\mu\text{b}$ for prompt $J/\psi$ mesons and $0.820\pm0.003\pm0.034~\mu\text{b}$ for nonprompt $J/\psi$ mesons, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These cross-sections are compared with those at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV and $13$ TeV, and are used to update the measurement of the nuclear modification factor in proton-lead collisions for $J/\psi$ mesons at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}=5$ TeV. The results are compared with theoretical predictions.
The production of $W$ and $Z$ bosons in association with jets is studied in the forward region of proton-proton collisions collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.98 $\pm$ 0.02 fb$^{-1}$. The $W$ boson is identified using its decay to a muon and a neutrino, while the $Z$ boson is identified through its decay to a muon pair. Total cross-sections are measured and combined into charge ratios, asymmetries, and ratios of $W+$jet and $Z$+jet production cross-sections. Differential measurements are also performed as a function of both boson and jet kinematic variables. All results are in agreement with Standard Model predictions.
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.
Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $2.0\,fb^{-1}$, collected by the LHCb experiment, the production of the $\eta_c(1S)$ state in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13 \text{ TeV}$ is studied in the rapidity range ${2.0 < y < 4.5}$ and in the transverse momentum range ${6.5 < p_{T} < 14.0\text{ GeV}}$. The cross-section for prompt production of $\eta_c(1S)$ mesons relative to that of the $J/\psi$ meson is measured using the ${p\bar{p}}$ decay mode and is found to be ${\sigma_{\eta_c(1S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi} = 1.69 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.10 \pm 0.18}$. The quoted uncertainties are, in order, statistical, systematic and due to uncertainties on the branching fractions of the ${J/\psi\to p \bar{p}}$ and ${\eta_c\to p \bar{p}}$ decays. The prompt $\eta_c(1S)$ production cross-section is determined to be ${\sigma_{\eta_c(1S)} = 1.26 \pm 0.11\pm 0.08 \pm 0.14 \,\mu b}$, where the last uncertainty includes that on the ${J/\psi}$ meson cross-section. The ratio of the branching fractions of $b$-hadron decays to the $\eta_c(1S)$ and ${J/\psi}$ states is measured to be ${\mathcal{B}_{b\to\eta_c X}/\mathcal{B}_{b\to J/\psi X} = 0.48 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.05}$, where the last uncertainty is due to those on the branching fractions of the ${J/\psi \to p \bar{p}}$ and ${\eta_c\to p \bar{p}}$ decays. The difference between the ${J/\psi}$ and $\eta_c(1S)$ masses is also determined to be ${113.0 \pm 0.7 \pm 0.1\text{ MeV}}$, which is the most precise single measurement of this quantity to date.
The production cross-sections of $\Upsilon(1S)$, $\Upsilon(2S)$ and $\Upsilon(3S)$ mesons in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$= 13 TeV are measured with a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $277 \pm 11$ $\rm pb^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment in 2015. The $\Upsilon$ mesons are reconstructed in the decay mode $\Upsilon\to\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$. The differential production cross-sections times the dimuon branching fractions are measured as a function of the $\Upsilon$ transverse momentum, $p_{\rm T}$, and rapidity, $y$, over the range $0 < p_{\rm T}< 30$ GeV/c and $2.0 < y < 4.5$. The ratios of the cross-sections with respect to the LHCb measurement at $\sqrt{s}$= 8 TeV are also determined. The measurements are compared with theoretical predictions based on NRQCD.