Observation of the decay Λb0<i>→</i> χ_c1pπ<SUP><i>-</i></SUP>

Abstract

The Cabibbo-suppressed decay $Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c1}pπ^-$ is observed for the first time using data from proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6fb$^{-1}$, collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV. Evidence for the $Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c2}pπ^-$ decay is also found. Using the $Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c1}pK^-$ decay as normalisation channel, the ratios of branching fractions are measured to be $$\begin{array}{rcl} \frac{ \mathcal{B} (Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c1}pπ^-)}{\mathcal{B} (Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c1}pK^-)} & = & (6.59 \pm 1.01 \pm 0.22 ) \times 10^{-2} ,, \frac{\mathcal{B} (Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c2}pπ^-)}{\mathcal{B} (Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c1}pπ^-)} & = & 0.95 \pm 0.30 \pm 0.04 \pm 0.04 ,, \frac{\mathcal{B} (Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c2}pK^-)}{\mathcal{B} (Λ_b^0\rightarrowχ_{c1}pK^-)} & = & 1.06 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.04 \pm 0.04 ,,\end{array}$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is due to the uncertainties in the branching fractions of $χ_{c1,2}\rightarrow J/ψγ$ decays.