Test of lepton flavor universality in semileptonic B$^+_\text{c}$ meson decays in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

TL;DR

This paper measures the ratio of branching fractions in Bc+ meson decays to test lepton flavor universality, using CMS data at 13 TeV, and finds results consistent with the Standard Model predictions.

Contribution

First measurement of the ratio R(J/ψ) in Bc+ decays to τ+ν and μ+ν, providing a new test of lepton flavor universality with LHC data.

Findings

Measured R(J/ψ) = 0.17 ± 0.33, consistent with SM prediction.

Used 2018 CMS proton-proton collision data at 13 TeV.

Provides constraints on new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Abstract

A measurement of the ratio of branching fractions $R$(J/$\psi$) = $\mathcal{B}$(B$^+_\text{c}$ $\to$ J/$\psi$$\tau^+\nu_\tau$) / $\mathcal{B}$(B$^+_\text{c}$ $\to$ J/$\psi$$\mu^+\nu_\mu$) in the J/$\psi$ $\to$ $\mu^+\mu^-$, $\tau^+$ $\to$ $\mu^+\mu_\tau\overline{\nu}_\tau$ decay channel is presented. This measurement uses a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the CMS experiment in 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 59.7 fb$^{-1}$. The measured ratio, $R$(J/$\psi$) = 0.17 $^{+ 0.18}_{- 0.17}$ (stat) $^{+ 0.21}_{- 0.22}$ (syst) $^{+ 0.19}_{- 0.18}$ (theo) = 0.17 $\pm$ 0.33, agrees with the value of 0.2582 $\pm$ 0.0038 predicted by the standard model, which assumes lepton flavor universality. By testing lepton flavor universality, this measurement is a probe of new physics using B$^+_\text{c}$ mesons, which are currently only produced at the LHC.