Searches for $Λ^0_{b}$ and $Ξ^{0}_{b}$ decays to $K^0_{\rm S} p π^{-}$ and $K^0_{\rm S}p K^{-}$ final states with first observation of the $Λ^0_{b} \rightarrow K^0_{\rm S}p π^{-}$ decay
hep-ex
/ Authors
LHCb collaboration, R. Aaij, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, A. Affolder, Z. Ajaltouni, J. Albrecht, F. Alessio, M. Alexander, S. Ali
and 665 more authors
G. Alkhazov, P. Alvarez Cartelle, A. A. Alves, S. Amato, S. Amerio, Y. Amhis, L. Anderlini, J. Anderson, R. Andreassen, M. Andreotti, J. E. Andrews, R. B. Appleby, O. Aquines Gutierrez, F. Archilli, A. Artamonov, M. Artuso, E. Aslanides, G. Auriemma, M. Baalouch, S. Bachmann, J. J. Back, A. Badalov, V. Balagura, W. Baldini
/ Abstract
A search for previously unobserved decays of beauty baryons to the final states $K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S} p π^{-}$ and $K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S}p K^{-}$ is reported. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $1.0\,$fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions. The $Λ^0_{b} \rightarrow \overline{\kern -0.2em K}^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S}p π^{-}$ decay is observed with a significance of $8.6\,σ$, with branching fraction \begin{eqnarray*} {\cal{B}}(Λ^0_{b} \rightarrow \overline{\kern -0.2em K}^0 p π^{-}) & = & \left(1.26 \pm 0.19 \pm 0.09 \pm 0.34 \pm 0.05 \right) \times 10^{-5} \,, \end{eqnarray*} where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, from the ratio of fragmentation fractions $f_Λ/f_{d}$, and from the branching fraction of the $B^0 \rightarrow K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S}π^{+}π^{-}$ normalisation channel, respectively. A first measurement is made of the $CP$ asymmetry, giving \begin{eqnarray*} A_{C/!P} (Λ^0_{b} \rightarrow \overline{\kern -0.2em K}^0 p π^{-}) & = & 0.22 \pm 0.13\mathrm{\,(stat)} \pm 0.03\mathrm{\,(syst)} \, . \end{eqnarray*} No significant signals are seen for $Λ^0_{b} \rightarrow K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S}p K^{-}$ decays, $Ξ^{0}_{b}$ decays to both the $K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S}p π^{-}$ and $K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S}p K^{-}$ final states, and the $Λ^0_{b} \rightarrow D^{-}_{s} (\rightarrow K^0_{\rm\scriptscriptstyle S} K^{-}) p$ decay, and upper limits on their branching fractions are reported.