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arXiv · 2609.25370

Measurement of the $Ω_b^-$ baryon lifetime

LHCb collaboration·R. Aaij·M. Abdelfatah·A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb·C. Abellan Beteta·F. Abudinén·T. Ackernley·A. A. Adefisoye·B. Adeva·M. Adinolfi·P. Adlarson·C. Agapopoulou·C. A. Aidala·S. Akar·K. Akiba·H. Al Saleh·P. Albicocco·J. Albrecht·R. Aleksiejunas·F. Alessio·P. Alvarez Cartelle·A. A. Alves Jr·S. Amato·J. L. Amey·Y. Amhis·Z. Amos·L. An·L. Anderlini·P. Andreola·M. Andreotti·S. Andres Estrada·A. Anelli·D. Ao·C. Arata·F. Archilli·Z. Areg·M. Argenton·S. Arguedas Cuendis·L. Arnone·M. Artuso·E. Aslanides·R. Ataíde Da Silva·M. Atzeni·B. Audurier·J. A. Authier·D. Bacher·I. Bachiller Perea·S. Bachmann·M. Bachmayer·J. J. Back·M. Bai·Z. B. Bai·V. Balagura·A. Balboni·W. Baldini·Z. Baldwin·L. Balzani·H. Bao·J. Baptista de Souza Leite·C. Barbero Pretel·I. R. Barbosa·W. Barker·R. J. Barlow·M. Barnyakov·S. Baron·S. Barsuk·W. Barter·J. Bartz·S. Bashir·B. Batsukh·P. B. Battista·A. Bavarchee·A. Bay·A. Beck·M. Becker·F. Bedeschi·I. B. Bediaga·N. A. Behling·S. Belin·A. Bellavista·I. Belyaev·G. Bencivenni·E. Ben-Haim·J. L. M. Berkey·R. Bernet·A. Bertolin·L. Bertsch·F. Betti·J. Bex·O. Bezshyyko·S. Bhattacharya·M. S. Bieker·N. V. Biesuz·A. Biolchini·M. Birch·F. C. R. Bishop·A. Bitadze·A. Bizzeti·T. Blake·F. Blanc
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Abstract

The lifetime ratio ${r_τ\equivτ_{Ω_b^-}/τ_{Ξ_b^-}}$ between the ${Ω_b^-}$ and ${Ξ_b^-}$ baryons is measured using a sample of $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb$^{-1}$ and collected by the LHCb experiment during LHC Run 2 (2015$-$2018). The ratio $r_τ$ is measured in two sets of decays modes, ${ {(Ω_b^-,Ξ_b^-)\to(Ω_c^0π^-,Ξ_c^0π^-)}}$ and ${(Ω_b^-,Ξ_b^-)\to(J/ψΩ^-, J/ψΞ^-)}$, with ${(Ω_c^0,Ξ_c^0)\to pK^-K^-π^+}$, ${(Ω^-,Ξ^-)\to(Λ^0 K^-,Λ^0π^-)}$, ${Λ^0\to pπ^-}$ and $J/ψ\toμ^+μ^-$. The measured $r_τ$ values are averaged and combined with Run 1 (2011$-$2012) measurements in the same decay modes to obtain ${r_τ = 1.109\pm0.055\pm0.010}$. Multiplying by the known ${Ξ_b^-}$ lifetime results in the ${Ω_b^-}$ lifetime ${τ_{Ω_b^-} = 1.751\pm0.089\pm0.022~{\rm ps}}$, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic. This measurement improves on the precision of the $Ω_b^-$ lifetime by about a factor of two over the previous world average. The value of $r_τ$ is in agreement with the most recent theoretical predictions from the heavy quark expansion framework.

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LHCb collaboration, R. Aaij, M. Abdelfatah, A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb, C. Abellan Beteta, F. Abudinén, T. Ackernley, A. A. Adefisoye, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, P. Adlarson, C. Agapopoulou, C. A. Aidala, S. Akar, K. Akiba, H. Al Saleh, P. Albicocco, J. Albrecht, R. Aleksiejunas, F. Alessio, P. Alvarez Cartelle, A. A. Alves Jr, S. Amato, J. L. Amey, Y. Amhis, Z. Amos, L. An, L. Anderlini, P. Andreola, M. Andreotti, S. Andres Estrada, A. Anelli, D. Ao, C. Arata, F. Archilli, Z. Areg, M. Argenton, S. Arguedas Cuendis, L. Arnone, M. Artuso, E. Aslanides, R. Ataíde Da Silva, M. Atzeni, B. Audurier, J. A. Authier, D. Bacher, I. Bachiller Perea, S. Bachmann, M. Bachmayer, J. J. Back, M. Bai, Z. B. Bai, V. Balagura, A. Balboni, W. Baldini, Z. Baldwin, L. Balzani, H. Bao, J. Baptista de Souza Leite, C. Barbero Pretel, I. R. Barbosa, W. Barker, R. J. Barlow, M. Barnyakov, S. Baron, S. Barsuk, W. Barter, J. Bartz, S. Bashir, B. Batsukh, P. B. Battista, A. Bavarchee, A. Bay, A. Beck, M. Becker, F. Bedeschi, I. B. Bediaga, N. A. Behling, S. Belin, A. Bellavista, I. Belyaev, G. Bencivenni, E. Ben-Haim, J. L. M. Berkey, R. Bernet, A. Bertolin, L. Bertsch, F. Betti, J. Bex, O. Bezshyyko, S. Bhattacharya, M. S. Bieker, N. V. Biesuz, A. Biolchini, M. Birch, F. C. R. Bishop, A. Bitadze, A. Bizzeti, T. Blake, F. Blanc. 2026-09-21. Measurement of the $Ω_b^-$ baryon lifetime. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.25370

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