Study of the production of Λ_b^0 band ~0 hadrons in pp collisions and first measurement of the Λ_b^0→J/ψpK^- branching fraction

The product of the ∧0/b （-B/0） differential production cross-section and the branching fraction of the decay ∧0/b→ J/ψ pK-（-B/0→ J/ψ-K＊（892）0）is measured as a function of the beauty hadron transverse momentum, PT, and rapidity, y. The kinematic region of the measurements is pT〈20 GeV/c and 2.0 〈g〈4.5.The measurements use a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1 collected by the LHCb detector in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies √s=7 TeV in 2011 and √s=8 TeV in 2012. Based on previous LHCb results of the fragmentation fraction ratio,f∧0/b/fd,the branching fraction of the decay ∧0/b→ J/ψ pK-is measured to be B（∧0/b→ J/ψ pK-）=（3.17±0.04±0.07±0.34＋0.45/-0.28）×10-4,where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, the third is due to the uncertainty on the branching fraction of the decay -B/0 →J/ψ-K＊（892）0,and the fourth is due to the knowledge of f∧0/b/fd.The sum of the asymmetries in the production and decay between ∧0/b and ∧0/bis also measured as a function of PT and y.The previously published branching fraction of ∧0/b→ J/ψ pπ-,relative to that of ∧0/b→ J/ψ pK-,is updated. The branching fractions of ∧0/b→P＋c（→ J/ψp）K-are determined.

Computation of products of phase space factors and nuclear matrix elements for double beta decay

Nuclear matrix elements(NME) and phase space factors(PSF) entering the half-life formulas of the double-beta decay(DBD) process are two key quantities whose accurate computation still represents a challenge. In this study, we propose a new approach of calculating these, namely the direct computation of their product as an unique formula. This procedure allows a more coherent treatment of the nuclear approximations and input parameters appearing in both quantities and avoids possible confusion in the interpretation of DBD data due to different individual expressions adopted for PSF and NME(and consequently their reporting in different units) by different authors. Our calculations are performed for both two neutrino(2 vββ) and neutrinoless(0 vββ) decay modes, for five nuclei of the most experimental interest. Further, using the most recent experimental limits for 0νββ decay half-lives,we provide new constraints on the light mass neutrino parameter. Finally, by separating the factor representing the axial-vector constant to the forth power in the half-life formulas, we advance suggestions on how to reduce the errors introduced in the calculation by the uncertain value of this constant, exploiting the DBD data obtained from different isotopes and/or decay modes.