Search for baryon-number-violating $Ξ_b^0$ oscillations

Abstract

A search for baryon-number-violating $Ξ_b^0$ oscillations is performed with a sample of $pp$ collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{-1}$. The baryon number at the moment of production is identified by requiring that the $Ξ_b^0$ come from the decay of a resonance $Ξ_b^{*-} \to Ξ_b^0 π^-$ or $Ξ_b^{\prime-} \to Ξ_b^0 π^-$, and the baryon number at the moment of decay is identified from the final state using the decays $Ξ_b^0 \to Ξ_c^+ π^-, ~ Ξ_c^+ \to p K^- π^+$. No evidence of baryon number violation is found, and an upper limit at the 95% confidence level is set on the oscillation rate of $ω< 0.08$ ps$^{-1}$, where $ω$ is the associated angular frequency.

All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2017-023.html