Observation of photon polarization in the b →sγ transition

LHCb Collaboration

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.161801

Observation of photon polarization in the b →sγ transition

LHCb Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy

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Abstract

This Letter presents a study of the flavor-changing neutral current radiative B±→K±π-π±γ decays performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies. In this sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1, nearly 14000 signal events are reconstructed and selected, containing all possible intermediate resonances with a K±π- π± final state in the [1.1,1.9]GeV/c2 mass range. The distribution of the angle of the photon direction with respect to the plane defined by the final-state hadrons in their rest frame is studied in intervals of K±π-π± mass and the asymmetry between the number of signal events found on each side of the plane is obtained. The first direct observation of the photon polarization in the b→sγ transition is reported with a significance of 5.2σ.

Original language	English
Article number	161801
Number of pages	8
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	112
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.161801
Publication status	Published - 22 Apr 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)

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https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.161801Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

Cite this

@article{24c579fbb826419e9bb01ea3986cf5f3,

title = "Observation of photon polarization in the b →sγ transition",

abstract = "This Letter presents a study of the flavor-changing neutral current radiative B±→K±π-π±γ decays performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies. In this sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1, nearly 14000 signal events are reconstructed and selected, containing all possible intermediate resonances with a K±π- π± final state in the [1.1,1.9]GeV/c2 mass range. The distribution of the angle of the photon direction with respect to the plane defined by the final-state hadrons in their rest frame is studied in intervals of K±π-π± mass and the asymmetry between the number of signal events found on each side of the plane is obtained. The first direct observation of the photon polarization in the b→sγ transition is reported with a significance of 5.2σ.",

author = "{LHCb Collaboration} and R. Aaij and B. Adeva and M. Adinolfi and A. Affolder and Z. Ajaltouni and J. Albrecht and F. Alessio and M. Alexander and S. Ali and G. Alkhazov and {Alvarez Cartelle}, P. and Alves, {A. A.} and S. Amato and S. Amerio and Y. Amhis and L. Anderlini and J. Anderson and R. Andreassen and M. Andreotti and Andrews, {J. E.} and Appleby, {R. B.} and {Aquines Gutierrez}, O. and F. Archilli and A. Artamonov and M. Artuso and E. Aslanides and G. Auriemma and M. Baalouch and S. Bachmann and Back, {J. J.} and A. Badalov and V. Balagura and W. Baldini and Barlow, {R. J.} and C. Barschel and S. Barsuk and W. Barter and V. Batozskaya and T Bauer and S. Bifani and P. Griffith and P. Ilten and Kenyon, {I. R.} and C. Lazzeroni and A. Mazurov and J. McCarthy and Parkinson, {C. J.} and L. Pescatore and D. Popov and Watson, {N. K.}",

year = "2014",

month = apr,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.161801",

language = "English",

volume = "112",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society (APS)",

number = "16",

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T1 - Observation of photon polarization in the b →sγ transition

AU - LHCb Collaboration

AU - Aaij, R.

AU - Adeva, B.

AU - Adinolfi, M.

AU - Affolder, A.

AU - Ajaltouni, Z.

AU - Albrecht, J.

AU - Alessio, F.

AU - Alexander, M.

AU - Ali, S.

AU - Alkhazov, G.

AU - Alvarez Cartelle, P.

AU - Alves, A. A.

AU - Amato, S.

AU - Amerio, S.

AU - Amhis, Y.

AU - Anderlini, L.

AU - Anderson, J.

AU - Andreassen, R.

AU - Andreotti, M.

AU - Andrews, J. E.

AU - Appleby, R. B.

AU - Aquines Gutierrez, O.

AU - Archilli, F.

AU - Artamonov, A.

AU - Artuso, M.

AU - Aslanides, E.

AU - Auriemma, G.

AU - Baalouch, M.

AU - Bachmann, S.

AU - Back, J. J.

AU - Badalov, A.

AU - Balagura, V.

AU - Baldini, W.

AU - Barlow, R. J.

AU - Barschel, C.

AU - Barsuk, S.

AU - Barter, W.

AU - Batozskaya, V.

AU - Bauer, T

AU - Bifani, S.

AU - Griffith, P.

AU - Ilten, P.

AU - Kenyon, I. R.

AU - Lazzeroni, C.

AU - Mazurov, A.

AU - McCarthy, J.

AU - Parkinson, C. J.

AU - Pescatore, L.

AU - Popov, D.

AU - Watson, N. K.

PY - 2014/4/22

Y1 - 2014/4/22

N2 - This Letter presents a study of the flavor-changing neutral current radiative B±→K±π-π±γ decays performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies. In this sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1, nearly 14000 signal events are reconstructed and selected, containing all possible intermediate resonances with a K±π- π± final state in the [1.1,1.9]GeV/c2 mass range. The distribution of the angle of the photon direction with respect to the plane defined by the final-state hadrons in their rest frame is studied in intervals of K±π-π± mass and the asymmetry between the number of signal events found on each side of the plane is obtained. The first direct observation of the photon polarization in the b→sγ transition is reported with a significance of 5.2σ.

AB - This Letter presents a study of the flavor-changing neutral current radiative B±→K±π-π±γ decays performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies. In this sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1, nearly 14000 signal events are reconstructed and selected, containing all possible intermediate resonances with a K±π- π± final state in the [1.1,1.9]GeV/c2 mass range. The distribution of the angle of the photon direction with respect to the plane defined by the final-state hadrons in their rest frame is studied in intervals of K±π-π± mass and the asymmetry between the number of signal events found on each side of the plane is obtained. The first direct observation of the photon polarization in the b→sγ transition is reported with a significance of 5.2σ.

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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.161801

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.161801

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84899093120

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 112

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 16

M1 - 161801

ER -

Observation of photon polarization in the b →sγ transition

Abstract

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