Measurement of the mass and production rate of $Ξ_b^-$ baryons

The first measurement of the production rate of $Ξ_b^-$ baryons in $pp$ collisions relative to that of $Λ_b^0$ baryons is reported, using data samples collected by the LHCb experiment, and corresponding to integrated luminosities of $1$, $2$ and $1.6$ fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=7,~8$ and $13$ TeV, respectively. In the kinematic region $2 < η< 6$ and $p_{\rm T}<20$ GeV/$c$, we measure \begin{align*} \frac{f_{Ξ_b^-}}{f_{Λ_b^0}}\frac{\mathcal{B}(Ξ_b^-\to J/ψΞ^-)}{\mathcal{B}(Λ_b^0\to J/ψΛ)} &= (10.8\pm0.9\pm0.8)\times10^{-2}~~[\sqrt{s}=7,8~{\rm TeV}],\\ \frac{f_{Ξ_b^-}}{f_{Λ_b^0}}\frac{\mathcal{B}(Ξ_b^-\to J/ψΞ^-)}{\mathcal{B}(Λ_b^0\to J/ψΛ)} &= (13.1\pm1.1\pm1.0)\times10^{-2}~~[\sqrt{s}=13~{\rm TeV}], \end{align*} where $f_{Ξ_b^-}$ and $f_{Λ_b^0}$ are the fragmentation fractions of $b$ quarks into $Ξ_b^-$ and $Λ_b^0$ baryons, respectively, ${\mathcal{B}}$ represents branching fractions, and the uncertainties are due to statistical and experimental systematic sources. The values of $f_{Ξ_b^-}/f_{Λ_b^0}$ are obtained by invoking SU(3) symmetry in the $Ξ_b^-\to JψΞ^-$ and $Λ_b^0\to J/ψΛ$ decays. Production asymmetries between $Ξ_b^-$ and $\barΞ_b^+$ baryons are also reported. The mass of the $Ξ_b^-$ baryon is also measured relative to that of the $Λ_b^0$ baryon, from which it is found that \begin{align*} m(Ξ_b^-) &= 5796.70\pm0.39\pm0.15\pm0.17~{\rm MeV}/c^2, \end{align*} where the last uncertainty is due to the precision on the known $Λ_b^0$ mass. This result represents the most precise determination of the $Ξ_b^-$ mass.