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Quantum chromodynamics, the theory of the strong force, describes interactions of coloured quarks and gluons and the formation of hadronic matter. Conventional hadronic matter consists of baryons and mesons made of three quarks and quark-antiquark pairs, respectively. Particles with an alternative quark content are known as exotic states. Here a study is reported of an exotic narrow state in the D 0 D 0 π + mass spectrum just below the D *+ D 0 mass threshold produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The state is consistent with the ground isoscalar T c c + tetraquark with a quark content of c c u ¯ d ¯ and spin-parity quantum numbers J P  = 1 + . Study of the DD mass spectra disfavours interpretation of the resonance as the isovector state. The decay structure via intermediate off-shell D *+ mesons is consistent with the observed D 0 π + mass distribution. To analyse the mass of the resonance and its coupling to the D * D system, a dedicated model is developed under the assumption of an isoscalar axial-vector T c c + state decaying to the D * D channel. Using this model, resonance parameters including the pole position, scattering length, effective range and compositeness are determined to reveal important information about the nature of the T c c + state. In addition, an unexpected dependence of the production rate on track multiplicity is observed. The existence and properties of tetraquark states with two heavy quarks and two light antiquarks have been widely debated. Here, the authors use a unitarized model to study the properties of an exotic narrow state compatible with a doubly charmed tetraquark.

A bstract An angular analysis of the rare decay B s 0 → ϕμ + μ − is presented, using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.4 fb − 1 . The observables describing the angular distributions of the decay B s 0 → ϕμ + μ − are determined in regions of q 2 , the square of the dimuon invariant mass. The results are consistent with Standard Model predictions.

A bstract An angular analysis of the B 0 → K *0 (→ K + π − ) μ + μ − decay is presented. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb −1 of pp collision data collected at the LHCb experiment. The complete angular information from the decay is used to determine CP -averaged observables and CP asymmetries, taking account of possible contamination from decays with the K + π − system in an S-wave configuration. The angular observables and their correlations are reported in bins of q 2 , the invariant mass squared of the dimuon system. The observables are determined both from an unbinned maximum likelihood fit and by using the principal moments of the angular distribution. In addition, by fitting for q 2 -dependent decay amplitudes in the region 1.1 < q 2 < 6.0 GeV 2 / c 4 , the zero-crossing points of several angular observables are computed. A global fit is performed to the complete set of CP -averaged observables obtained from the maximum likelihood fit. This fit indicates differences with predictions based on the Standard Model at the level of 3.4 standard deviations. These differences could be explained by contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model, or by an unexpectedly large hadronic effect that is not accounted for in the Standard Model predictions.

A bstract A test of lepton universality, performed by measuring the ratio of the branching fractions of the B 0 → K *0 μ + μ − and B 0 → K *0 e + e − decays, R K * 0 , is presented. The K *0 meson is reconstructed in the final state K + π − , which is required to have an invariant mass within 100 MeV /c 2 of the known K * (892) 0 mass. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 3 fb −1 , collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio is measured in two regions of the dilepton invariant mass squared, q 2 , to be R K * 0 = 0.66 − + 0.07 0.11 stat ± 0.03 syst f o r 0.045 < q 2 < 1.1 GeV 2 / c 4 , 0.69 − + 0.07 0.11 stat ± 0.05 syst f o r 1.1 < q 2 < 6.0 GeV 2 / c 4 . The corresponding 95.4% confidence level intervals are [0 . 52 , 0 . 89] and [0 . 53 , 0 . 94]. The results, which represent the most precise measurements of R K * 0 to date, are compatible with the Standard Model expectations at the level of 2.1–2.3 and 2.4–2.5 standard deviations in the two q 2 regions, respectively.

A bstract 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 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.98 ± 0.19 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 T , and rapidity, y , and cover the range 0 < p T < 15GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The inclusive cross-sections for the four mesons, including charge conjugation, within the range of 1 < p T < 8 GeV/c are found to be σ pp → D 0 X = 2460 ± 3 ± 130 μ b σ pp → D + X = 1000 ± 3 ± 110 μ b σ pp → D s + X = 460 ± 13 ± 100 μ b σ pp → D ∗ + X = 880 ± 5 ± 140 μ b where the uncertainties are due to statistical and systematic uncertainties, respectively.

A bstract An angular analysis and a measurement of the differential branching fraction of the decay B s 0  →  ϕμ + μ − are presented, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 . 0 fb −1 of pp collisions recorded by the LHCb experiment at s = 7 and 8 TeV. Measurements are reported as a function of q 2 , the square of the dimuon invariant mass and results of the angular analysis are found to be consistent with the Standard Model. In the range 1 < q 2 < 6 GeV 2 /c 4 , where precise theoretical calculations are available, the differential branching fraction is found to be more than 3 σ below the Standard Model predictions.

A bstract Measurements are reported of the central exclusive production of J/ψ and ψ (2 S ) mesons in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Backgrounds are significantly reduced compared to previous measurements made at lower energies through the use of new forward shower counters. The products of the cross-sections and the branching fractions for the decays to dimuons, where both muons are within the pseudorapidity range 2 . 0 < η < 4 . 5, are measured to be σ J / ψ → μ + μ − = 435 ± 18 ± 11 ± 17 p b σ ψ 2 S → μ + μ − = 11.1 ± 1.1 ± 0.3 ± 0.4 p b . The first uncertainties are statistical, the second are systematic, and the third are due to the luminosity determination. The cross-sections are also measured differentially for meson rapidities between 2.0 and 4.5. Good agreement is observed with theoretical predictions. Photoproduction cross-sections are derived and compared to previous experiments, and a deviation from a pure power-law extrapolation of lower energy data is observed.

A bstract Production cross-sections of prompt charm mesons are measured using data from pp collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 5 TeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 8 . 60 ± 0 . 33 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 T , and rapidity, y . They cover the rapidity range 2 . 0 < y < 4 . 5 and transverse momentum ranges 0 < p T < 10 GeV /c for D 0 and D + and 1 < p T < 10 GeV /c for D s + and D ∗+ mesons. The inclusive cross-sections for the four mesons, including charge-conjugate states, within the range of 1 < p T < 8 GeV /c are determined to be σ pp → D 0 X = 1004 ± 3 ± 54 μ b , σ pp → D + X = 402 ± 2 ± 30 μ b , σ pp → D s + X = 170 ± 4 ± 16 μ b , σ pp → D ∗ + X = 421 ± 5 ± 36 μ b , where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

A bstract A precision measurement of the B c + meson mass is performed using proton- proton collision data collected with the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 , 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 . 0 fb − 1 . The B c + mesons are reconstructed via the decays B c + → J/ψπ + , B c + → J/ψπ + π − π + , B c + → J / ψp p ¯ π + , B c + → J / ψ D s + , B c + → J/ψ D 0 K + and B c + → B s 0 π + . Combining the results of the individual decay channels, the B c + mass is measured to be 6274 . 47 ± 0 . 27 (stat) ± 0 . 17 (syst) MeV /c 2 . This is the most precise measurement of the B c + mass to date. The difference between the B c + and B s 0 meson masses is measured to be 907 . 75 ± 0 . 37 (stat) ± 0 . 27 (syst) MeV /c .

A bstract The production cross-section of the χ c 1 (3872) state relative to the ψ (2 S ) meson is measured using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of s = 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 2.0 and 5.4 fb − 1 , respectively. The two mesons are reconstructed in the J/ψπ + π − final state. The ratios of the prompt and nonprompt χ c 1 (3872) to ψ (2 S ) production cross-sections are measured as a function of transverse momentum, p T , and rapidity, y , of the χ c 1 (3872) and ψ (2 S ) states, in the kinematic range 4 < p T < 20 GeV/ c and 2 . 0 < y < 4 . 5. The prompt ratio is found to increase with p T , independently of y . For the prompt component, the double ratio of the χ c 1 (3872) and ψ (2 S ) production cross-sections between 13 and 8 TeV is observed to be consistent with unity, independent of p T and centre-of-mass energy.