Test of lepton universality with B 0 → K *0 ℓ + ℓ − decays

Journal article

A test of lepton universality, performed by measuring the ratio of the branching fractions of the B 0 → K *0 μ + μ − and B 0 → K *0 e + e − decays, RK*0, is presented. The K *0 meson is reconstructed in the final state K + π − , which is required to have an invariant mass within 100 MeV/c 2 of the known K * (892) 0 mass. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 3 fb −1 , collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio is measured in two regions of the dilepton invariant mass squared, q 2 , to be (Formula presented.) The corresponding 95.4% confidence level intervals are [0.52, 0.89] and [0.53, 0.94] . The results, which represent the most precise measurements of RK*0 to date, are compatible with the Standard Model expectations at the level of 2.1–2.3 and 2.4–2.5 standard deviations in the two q 2 regions, respectively.[Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Authors: Aaij, R; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Evans, T; Gandini, P

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Journal of High Energy Physics
• Volume: 2017
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 055
• Publication date: 2017-08-16
• Acceptance date: 2017-08-01
• DOI: 10.1007/JHEP08(2017)055
• ISSN: 1029-8479
• Keywords: Hadron-Hadron scattering (experiments); Branching fraction; B physics; Rare decay