Observation of the $Λ_b^0\rightarrow χ_{c1}(3872)pK^-$ decay

Using proton-proton collision data, collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to 1.0, 2.0 and 1.9fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity at the centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, respectively, the decay $Λ_b^0\to χ_{c1}(3872)pK^-$ with $χ_{c1}\to J/ψπ^+π^-$ is observed for the first time. The significance of the observed signal is in excess of seven standard deviations. It is found that $(58\pm15)\%$ of the decays proceed via the two-body intermediate state $χ_{c1}(3872)Λ(1520)$. The~branching fraction with respect to that of the $Λ_b\rightarrowψ(2S)p K^{-}$ decay mode, where the $ψ(2S)$~meson is reconstructed in the $J/ψπ^+π^-$ final state, is measured to be: \begin{equation*} \frac{Λ_b^0\toχ_{c1}(3872)pK^-}{Λ_b\toψ(2S)p K^-} \times \frac{\mathcal{B}(χ_{c1} \to J/ψπ^+π^-)}{\mathcal{B}(ψ(2S)\to J/ψπ^+π^-)} = \left(5.4 \pm 1.1 \pm 0.2\right)\times 10^{-2}\,, \end{equation*} where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.