Observation of the Xi_b^0 Baryon

TL;DR

This paper reports the first observation of the bottom, strange baryon Xi_b^0, including its mass measurement, using data from proton-antiproton collisions at Fermilab, with a highly significant signal detection.

Contribution

The paper provides the first experimental observation and mass measurement of the Xi_b^0 baryon, confirming its existence and properties.

Findings

Observation of Xi_b^0 with 6.8 sigma significance

Measured Xi_b^0 mass as 5787.8 MeV/c^2

Detection of Xi_b^- baryon through decay channels

Abstract

The observation of the bottom, strange baryon $\Xi^0_b$ through the decay chain $\Xi^0_b \rightarrow \Xi_c^+ \, \pi^-$, where $\Xi_c^+ \rightarrow \Xi^- \, \pi^+ \, \pi^+$, $\Xi^- \rightarrow \Lambda \, \pi^-$, and $\Lambda \rightarrow p \, \pi^-$, is reported using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.2 fb$^{-1}$ from $p\bar p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV recorded with the Collider Detector at Fermilab. A signal of $25.3^{+5.6}_{-5.4}$ candidates is observed whose probability of arising from a background fluctuation is $3.6 \times 10^{-12}$, corresponding to 6.8 Gaussian standard deviations. The $\Xi^0_b$ mass is measured to be $5787.8\pm5.0(\textrm{stat})\pm1.3(\textrm{syst})$ MeV/$c^2$. In addition, the $\Xi^-_b$ baryon is observed through the process $\Xi^-_b \rightarrow \Xi_c^0 \, \pi^-$, where $\Xi_c^0 \rightarrow \Xi^-\, \pi^+$, $\Xi^- \rightarrow \Lambda \, \pi^-$, and $\Lambda \rightarrow p \, \pi^-$.