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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: collaboration, L, Aaij, R, Adeva, B, Adinolfi, M, Adrover, C, Affolder, A, Ajaltouni, Z, Albrecht, J, Alessio, F, Alexander, M, Ali, S, Alkhazov, G, Cartelle, P, Jr, A, Amato, S, Amerio, S, Amhis, Y, Anderlini, L, Anderson, J, Andreassen, R, Andrews, J, Andrianala, F, Appleby, R, Gutierrez, O, Archilli, F
Format: Journal article
Published: 2013
Description
Summary: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.