Observation and branching fraction measurement of the decay $Ξ_b^-\toΛ_b^0π^-$

Abstract

The decay $Ξ_b^-\toΛ_b^0π^-$ is observed using a proton-proton collision data sample collected at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb$^{-1}$. This process is mediated by the $s\to u\bar{u}d$ quark-level transition, where the $b$ quark in the $Ξ_b^-$ baryon is a spectator in the decay. Averaging the results obtained using the two $Λ_b^0$ decay modes, $Λ_b^0\toΛ_c^+π^-$ and $Λ_b^0\toΛ_c^+π^-π^+π^-$, the relative production ratio is measured to be $(f_{Ξ_b^-}/f_{Λ_b^0}){\cal{B}}(Ξ_b^-\toΛ_b^0π^-)=(7.3\pm0.8\pm0.6)\times10^{-4}$. Here the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively, and $f_{Ξ_b^-}(f_{Λ_b^0})$ is the fragmentation fraction for a $b$ quark into a $Ξ_b^-$ ($Λ_b^0$) baryon. Using an independent measurement of $f_{Ξ_b^-}/f_{Λ_b^0}$, the branching fraction ${\cal{B}}(Ξ_b^-\toΛ_b^0π^-)=(0.89\pm0.10\pm0.07\pm0.29)\%$ is obtained, where the last uncertainty is due to the assumed SU(3) flavor symmetry in the determination of $f_{Ξ_b^-}/f_{Λ_b^0}$.

14 pages, 4 figures. All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-015.html (LHCb public pages)