Precision measurement of the $Ξ^-_b$ baryon lifetime

Abstract

A sample of $pp$ collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb$^{-1}$ and collected by the LHCb experiment during LHC Run 2, is used to measure the ratio of the lifetime of the $Ξ^-_b$ baryon to that of the $Λ^0_b$ baryon, $r_τ\equivτ_{Ξ^-_b}/τ_{Λ^0_b}$. The value ${r_τ=1.076\pm0.013\pm0.006}$ is obtained, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This value is averaged with the corresponding value from Run 1 to obtain ${r_τ^{\rm Run\,1,2} = 1.078\pm0.012\pm0.007}$. Multiplying by the world-average value of the $Λ^0_b$ lifetime yields $τ_{Ξ^-_b}^{\rm Run~1,2} = 1.578\pm0.018\pm0.010\pm0.011$ ps, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the limited knowledge of the $Λ^0_b$ lifetime. This measurement improves the precision of the current world average of the $Ξ^-_b$ lifetime by about a factor of two, and is in good agreement with the most recent theoretical predictions.

12 pages, 5 figures. All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2014-010.html (LHCb public pages)