First observation of the decay $B^0_s \rightarrow K^{*0} \bar{K]^{*0}$
hep-ex
/ Authors
LHCb Collaboration, R. Aaij, C. Abellan Beteta, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, C. Adrover, A. Affolder, Z. Ajaltouni, J. Albrecht, F. Alessio
and 577 more authors
M. Alexander, G. Alkhazov, P. Alvarez Cartelle, A. A. Alves, S. Amato, Y. Amhis, J. Anderson, R. B. Appleby, O. Aquines Gutierrez, F. Archilli, L. Arrabito, A. Artamonov, M. Artuso, E. Aslanides, G. Auriemma, S. Bachmann, J. J. Back, D. S. Bailey, V. Balagura, W. Baldini, R. J. Barlow, C. Barschel, S. Barsuk, W. Barter
/ Abstract
The first observation of the decay $\kstarkstar$ is reported using 35\invpb of data collected by LHCb in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. A total of $49.8 \pm 7.5$ $B^0_s \rightarrow (K^+π^-)(K^-π^+)$ events are {observed within $\pm 50 \mevcc$ of the \Bs mass and $746 \mevcc < m_{Kπ}< 1046 \mevcc$, mostly coming from a resonant $\kstarkstar$ signal.} The branching fraction and the \CP-averaged \Kstarz longitudinal polarization fraction are measured to be {$\BR(\kstarkstar) = (2.81 \pm 0.46 ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.45 ({\rm syst.}) \pm 0.34\, (f_s/f_d))\times10^{-5}$} and $f_L = 0.31 \pm 0.12 ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.04 ({\rm syst.})$.