Observation of $B^0_s$-$bar{B}^0_s$ mixing and measurement of mixing frequencies using semileptonic B decays


Abstract in English

The $B^0_s$ and $B^0$ mixing frequencies, $Delta m_s$ and $Delta m_d$, are measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at a centre of mass energy of 7 TeV during 2011. Around 1.8x10^6 candidate events are selected of the type $B^0_{(s)} to D^-_{(s)} mu^+$ (+ anything), where about half are from peaking and combinatorial backgrounds. To determine the B decay times, a correction is required for the momentum carried by missing particles, which is performed using a simulation-based statistical method. Associated production of muons or mesons allows us to tag the initial-state flavour and so to resolve oscillations due to mixing. We obtain Delta m_s = (17.93 pm 0.22 (stat) pm 0.15 (syst)) ps^{-1}, Delta m_d = (0.503 pm 0.011 (stat) pm 0.013 (syst)) ps^{-1}. The hypothesis of no oscillations is rejected by the equivalent of 5.8 standard deviations for $B^0_s$ and 13.0 standard deviations for $B^0$. This is the first observation of $B^0_s$ mixing to be made using only semileptonic decays.

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