Search for $CP$ violation in $D_{(s)}^{+}\rightarrow h^{+}\pi^{0}$ and $D_{(s)}^{+}\rightarrow h^{+}\eta$ decays

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for $CP$ violation in specific $D^{+}$ and $D_s^{+}$ meson decays involving neutral pions and eta mesons, using LHCb data, finding results consistent with no $CP$ violation and providing the most precise measurements to date.

Contribution

First precise measurements of $CP$ asymmetries in $D^{+}$ and $D_s^{+}$ decays to $h^{+} ext{neutral meson}$ modes, using novel reconstruction techniques and control modes.

Findings

Measured $CP$ asymmetries are consistent with zero.

Most precise $A_{CP}$ measurements in these decay modes.

Results set constraints on new physics models.

Abstract

Searches for $CP$ violation in the two-body decays $D_{(s)}^{+}\rightarrow h^{+}\pi^{0}$ and $D_{(s)}^{+} \rightarrow h^{+}\eta$ (where $h^{+}$ denotes a $\pi^{+}$ or $K^{+}$ meson) are performed using $pp$ collision data collected by the LHCb experiment corresponding to either 9 fb$^{-1}$ or 6 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. The $\pi^{0}$ and $\eta$ mesons are reconstructed using the $e^{+}e^{-}\gamma$ final state, which can proceed as three-body decays $\pi^{0}\rightarrow e^{+}e^{-}\gamma$ and $\eta \rightarrow e^{+}e^{-}\gamma$, or via the two-body decays $\pi^{0}\rightarrow \gamma\gamma$ and $\eta\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$ followed by a photon conversion. The measurements are made relative to the control modes $D_{(s)}^{+}\rightarrow K_{S}^{0} h^{+}$ to cancel the production and detection asymmetries. The $CP$ asymmetries are measured to be \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D^{+}\rightarrow \pi^{+}\pi^{0}) &= (-1.3 \pm 0.9 \pm 0.6 )\%, \end{align} \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D^{+}\rightarrow K^{+}\pi^{0}) &= (-3.2 \pm 4.7 \pm 2.1 )\%, \end{align} \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D^{+}\rightarrow \pi^{+}\eta) &= (-0.2 \pm 0.8 \pm 0.4 )\%, \end{align} \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D^{+}\rightarrow K^{+}\eta) &= (-6 \pm 10 \pm 4 )\%, \end{align} \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D_{s}^{+}\rightarrow K^{+}\pi^{0}) &= (-0.8 \pm 3.9 \pm 1.2 )\%, \end{align} \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D_{s}^{+}\rightarrow \pi^{+}\eta) &= (0.8 \pm 0.7 \pm 0.5 )\%, \end{align} \begin{align} \mathcal{A}_{CP}(D_{s}^{+}\rightarrow K^{+}\eta) &= (0.9 \pm 3.7 \pm 1.1 )\%, \end{align} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These results are consistent with no $CP$ violation and mostly constitute the most precise measurements of $\mathcal{A}_{CP}$ in these decay modes to date.