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.

A measurement of the $Z(\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-)$+jet production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. Results are shown with two jet transverse momentum thresholds, 10 and 20 GeV, for both the overall cross-section within the fiducial volume, and for six differential cross-section measurements. The fiducial volume requires that both the jet and the muons from the Z boson decay are produced in the forward direction ($2.0<\eta<4.5$). The results show good agreement with theoretical predictions at the second-order expansion in the coupling of the strong interaction.

The production of $\Upsilon$ mesons in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt=7$ and $8\,\mathrm{TeV}$ is studied with the LHCb detector using data samples corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ and $2\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ respectively. The production cross-sections and ratios of cross-sections are measured as functions of the meson transverse momentum $p_T$ and rapidity $y$, for $p_T<30\,\mathrm{GeV}/c$} and $2.0<y<4.5$.

Production cross-sections of prompt charm mesons are measured with the first data from $pp$ collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of $13\,\mathrm{TeV}$. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $4.98 \pm 0.19\,\mathrm{pb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. The production cross-sections of $D^{0}$, $D^{+}$, $D_{s}^{+}$, and $D^{*+}$ mesons are measured in bins of charm meson transverse momentum, $p_{\mathrm{T}}$, and rapidity, $y$, and cover the range $0 < p_{\mathrm{T}} < 15\,\mathrm{GeV}/c$ and $2.0 < y < 4.5$. The inclusive cross-sections for the four mesons, including charge conjugation, within the range of $1 < p_{\mathrm{T}} < 8\,\mathrm{GeV}/c$ are found to be \begin{equation} \sigma(pp \to D^{0} X) = 2072 \pm 2 \pm 124\,\mu\mathrm{b}\\ \sigma(pp \to D^{+} X) = 834 \pm 2 \pm \phantom{1}78\,\mu\mathrm{b}\\ \sigma(pp \to D_{s}^{+} X) = 353 \pm 9 \pm \phantom{1}76\,\mu\mathrm{b}\\ \sigma(pp \to D^{*+} X) = 784 \pm 4 \pm \phantom{1}87\,\mu\mathrm{b} \end{equation} where the uncertainties are due to statistical and systematic uncertainties, respectively.

A $6.8 \ {\rm nb^{-1}}$ sample of $pp$ collision data collected under low-luminosity conditions at $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used to study diffractive dijet production. Events containing at least two jets with $p_\mathrm{T} > 20$ GeV are selected and analysed in terms of variables which discriminate between diffractive and non-diffractive processes. Cross sections are measured differentially in $\Delta\eta^F$, the size of the observable forward region of pseudorapidity which is devoid of hadronic activity, and in an estimator, $\tilde{\xi}$, of the fractional momentum loss of the proton assuming single diffractive dissociation ($pp \rightarrow pX$). Model comparisons indicate a dominant non-diffractive contribution up to moderately large $\Delta\eta^F$ and small $\tilde{\xi}$, with a diffractive contribution which is significant at the highest $\Delta\eta^F$ and the lowest $\tilde{\xi}$. The rapidity-gap survival probability is estimated from comparisons of the data in this latter region with predictions based on diffractive parton distribution functions.

A measurement of the inclusive $W \to \mu\nu$ production cross-section using data from $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7 {\rm \, TeV}$ is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of about $1.0 {\rm \, fb}^{-1}$ recorded with the LHCb detector. Results are reported for muons with a transverse momentum greater than $20 {\rm \, Ge\kern -0.1em V\!/}c$ and pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The $W^{+}$ and $W^{-}$ production cross-sections are measured to be $$\sigma_{W^{+} \to \mu^{+}\nu} = 861.0 \pm 2.0 \pm 11.2 \pm 14.7 {\rm \, pb},$$ $$\sigma_{W^{-} \to \mu^{-}\overline{\nu}} = 675.8 \pm 1.9 \pm 8.8 \pm 11.6 {\rm \, pb},$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is due to the luminosity determination. Cross-section ratios and differential distributions as functions of the muon pseudorapidity are also presented. The ratio of $W^{+}$ to $W^{-}$ cross-sections in the same fiducial kinematic region is determined to be $$\frac{\sigma_{W^{+} \to \mu^{+}\nu}}{\sigma_{W^{-} \to \mu^{-}\overline{\nu}}} = 1.274 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.009,$$ where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. Results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

A measurement of the production cross-section for $Z$ bosons that decay to muons is presented. The data were recorded by the LHCb detector during $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$. The cross-section is measured for muons in the pseudorapidity range $2.0 < \eta < 4.5$ with transverse momenta $p_{T} > 20$ GeV/c. The dimuon mass is restricted to $60 < M_{\mu^{+}\mu^{-}} < 120$ GeV/c$^{2}$. The measured cross-section is $$\sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^{+}\mu^{-}} = (76.0 \pm 0.3 \pm 0.5 \pm 1.0 \pm 1.3) \, \text{pb}$$ where the uncertainties are due to the sample size, systematic effects, the beam energy and the luminosity. This result is in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. The cross-section is also measured differentially as a function of kinematic variables of the $Z$ boson. Ratios of the production cross-sections of electroweak bosons are presented using updated LHCb measurements of $W$ boson production. A precise test of the Standard Model is provided by the measurement of the ratio $$\frac{\sigma_{W^{+}\rightarrow\mu^{+}\nu_{\mu}} + \sigma_{W^{-}\rightarrow\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}}}{\sigma_{Z\rightarrow\mu^{+}\mu^{-}}} = 20.63\pm0.09\pm0.12\pm0.05,$$ where the uncertainty due to luminosity cancels.

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.

A study is presented of central exclusive production of $\Upsilon(nS)$ states, where the $\Upsilon(nS)$ resonances decay to the $\mu^+\mu^-$ final state, using $pp$ collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment. The cross-section is measured in the rapidity range $2<y(\Upsilon)<4.5$ where the muons are reconstructed in the pseudorapidity range $2<\eta(\mu^\pm)<4.5$. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.9 fb$^{-1}$ and was collected at centre-of-mass energies of $7$ TeV and $8$ TeV. The measured $\Upsilon(1S)$ and $\Upsilon(2S)$ production cross-sections are \begin{eqnarray} \sigma(pp \to p\Upsilon(1S)p) &=& 9.0 \pm 2.1 \pm 1.7\textrm{ pb and}\nonumber\\ \sigma(pp \to p\Upsilon(2S)p) &=& 1.3 \pm 0.8 \pm 0.3\textrm{ pb},\nonumber \end{eqnarray} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The $\Upsilon(1S)$ cross-section is also measured as a function of rapidity and is found to be in good agreement with Standard Model predictions. An upper limit is set at 3.4 pb at the 95\% confidence level for the exclusive $\Upsilon(3S)$ production cross-section, including possible contamination from $\chi_b(3P)\to\Upsilon(3S)\gamma$ decays.

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.