REVIEW
Study of the B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi- Decay and Measurement of the B- --> X(3872) K- Branching Fraction
High Energy Physics - Experiment · Submitted 7 Jun 2004 · 16 references
Pith's verdict: A solid, citable BaBar confirmation of the X(3872) with a mass measured relative to the psi(2S); the product branching fraction's error bar is slightly tighter than the analysis actually earns.
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Referee report
The paper
The paper claims
BaBar confirms the X(3872) in B decays and pins its mass to 3873.4 MeV, while closing off two rival explanations of the same final state.
The reading
What carries the argument
The measurement is built on a ratio rather than an absolute rate: $R = B(B^- → J/ψK^-π^+π^-)/B(B^- → ψ(2S)K^-)$ is formed so that luminosity, $b$-quark tagging, and most reconstruction efficiencies cancel, with the $ψ(2S)$ yield taken from a two-Gaussian fit to the $J/ψπ^+π^-$ mass distribution. Signal extraction uses two kinematic variables, the beam-energy-substituted mass $m_{ES}$ and the energy difference $ΔE$, fitted with a binned likelihood in which the signal is a Gaussian plus a low-side tail and the background is an ARGUS threshold function. For the $X(3872)$, an unbinned two-dimensional likelihood in $(m_{ES}, m_{J/ψπ^+π^-})$ combines a non-resonant polynomial term, a $ψ(2S)$ term, an $X(3872)$ term sharing the $ψ(2S)$ resolution function but with a floating mass offset, and a combinatorial term. The branching fraction and the limits are obtained with a frequentist confidence-level construction in which the nuisance quantities — background counts, $ψ(2S)$ yield, and the external branching fractions used for normalization — are sampled from Gaussian distributions and folded into a Poisson expectation, so that systematic uncertainties enter the interval directly rather than being added afterwards.
Extended reading notes
Core claim
The central claim is a triple measurement in the decay chain $B^- → J/ψK^-π^+π^-$. First, the inclusive three-body branching fraction is $B(B^- → J/ψK^-π^+π^-) = (116 ± 7_{stat} ± 9_{syst})×10^{-5}$. Second, an excess of events in the $J/ψπ^+π^-$ invariant mass distribution near 3872 MeV/$c^2$ is identified as the $X(3872)$, with product branching fraction $B(B^- → X(3872)K^-) × B(X(3872) → J/ψπ^+π^-) = (1.28 ± 0.41)×10^{-5}$; the probability that the observed 63 events in the window are a background fluctuation is quoted as $5.4×10^{-4}$, about 3.5 standard deviations. Third, the mass is extracted from a fit in which the $X(3872)$ mass floats relative to the $ψ(2S)$ mass, giving $m_{X(3872)} = 3873.4 ± 1.4$ MeV/$c^2$, consistent with the earlier Belle and CDF observations. As by-products, the authors set 90% confidence limits $B(B^- → h_cK^-) × B(h_c → J/ψπ^+π^-) < 3.4×10^{-6}$ and $B(B^- → J/ψD^0π^-) < 5.2×10^{-5}$, the latter ruling out an intrinsic-charm explanation of the soft-$J/ψ$ excess in inclusive $B$ decays.
Load-bearing premise
The $X(3872)$ yield is converted into a branching fraction by assuming its reconstruction and selection efficiency equals that of the $ψ(2S)$, a state 187 MeV lighter whose pions have different momenta, and the peaking-background subtraction assumes the non-resonant $J/ψπ^+π^-$ mass shape is smooth across the signal window.
Editorial extensions
If this is right
- The $X(3872)$ is established as a real state produced in $B^- → X(3872)K^-$ at the 3.5 standard deviation level in an independent sample, with a mass of $3873.4 ± 1.4$ MeV/$c^2$.
- Because the mass is measured relative to the $ψ(2S)$, the absolute mass-scale uncertainty largely cancels, leaving a value that can be compared directly with the $D^0\bar{D}^{*0}$ threshold.
- The total branching fraction $B(B^- → J/ψK^-π^+π^-) = (116 ± 7 ± 9)×10^{-5}$ supersedes looser earlier averages and provides a normalization for any search in this final state.
- The limit $B(B^- → J/ψD^0π^-) < 5.2×10^{-5}$ at 90% confidence removes the intrinsic-charm mechanism as an explanation of the excess of low-momentum $J/ψ$ mesons in inclusive $B$ decays.
- No $h_c$ signal appears in $J/ψπ^+π^-$; the limit $B(B^- → h_cK^-) × B(h_c → J/ψπ^+π^-) < 3.4×10^{-6}$ constrains that production mode, though it does not exclude $h_c$ production followed by other decay channels.
Reading between the lines
- The measured mass sits within a few MeV of the $D^0\bar{D}^{*0}$ threshold; the paper notes consistency with earlier measurements but does not quantify the coincidence, and a reader can see that a precision of about 1.4 MeV is already fine enough for that comparison to become the interesting physics question.
- The $π^+π^-$ invariant mass distribution in the $X(3872)$ region is shown but not interpreted; with the present statistics it cannot distinguish a $ρ$-like dipion from a phase-space-like one, which is exactly the discrimination that would separate a molecule from a charmonium assignment.
- The $J/ψ → e^+e^-$ and $J/ψ → μ^+μ^-$ subsamples give $(1.94 ± 0.62)$ and $(0.52 ± 0.46)×10^{-5}$, differing by 1.8 standard deviations; the authors call this consistent, and a larger sample would show whether it is a fluctuation or an efficiency-transfer problem between the two lepton channels.
- Treating the $X(3872)$ reconstruction efficiency as identical to the $ψ(2S)$ efficiency is the natural place where an independent, higher-statistics experiment with a direct efficiency calibration could shift the quoted product branching fraction without changing the significance of the state itself.
Original abstract
We study the decay B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi- using 117 million BBbar events collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II e+ e- asymmetric-energy storage ring. We measure the branching fractions Br(B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi-) = (116 +- 7 (stat.) +- 9(syst.))* 10-5 and Br(B- --> X(3872)K-)* Br (X(3872) --> J/psi pi+ pi-) =(1.28+- 0.41)* 10-5 and find the mass of the X(3872) to be 3873.4 +- 1.4 MeV/c2. We search for the h_c narrow state in the decay B- --> h_c K-, h_c --> J/psi pi+ pi- and for the decay B- --> J/psi D0 pi-, with D0 --> K- pi+. We set the 90% C.L. limits Br(B- --> h_c K-)* Br (h_c --> J/psi pi+ pi-) <3.4 * 10-6 and Br(B- --> J/psi D0 pi-) <5.2 * 10-5.
The compiled record
The paper's own sentences, arranged, kept beside the review and separate from it. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.
The abstract, sentence by sentence
We study the decay B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi- using 117 million BBbar events collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II e+ e- asymmetric-energy storage ring. We measure the branching fractions Br(B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi-) = (116 +- 7 (stat.) +- 9(syst.))* 10-5 and Br(B- --> X(3872)K-)* Br (X(3872) --> J/psi pi+ pi-) =(1.28+- 0.41)* 10-5 and find the mass of the X(3872) to be 3873.4 +- 1.4 MeV/c2. We search for the h_c narrow state in the decay B- --> h_c K-, h_c --> J/psi pi+ pi- and for the decay B- --> J/psi D0 pi-, with D0 --> K- pi+. We set the 90% C.L. limits Br(B- --> h_c K-)* Br (h_c --> J/psi pi+ pi-) <3.4 * 10-6 and Br(B- --> J/psi D0 pi-) <5.2 * 10-5.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | We study the decay B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi- using 117 million BBbar events collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II e+ e- asymmetric-energy storage ring. | method 0.87 | 0.94 | 0.03 | asserted 0.96 |
| s1 | We measure the branching fractions Br(B- --> J/psi K- pi+ pi-) = (116 +- 7 (stat.) +- 9(syst.))* 10-5 and Br(B- --> X(3872)K-)* Br (X(3872) --> J/psi pi+ pi-) =(1.28+- 0.41)* 10-5 and find the mass of the X(3872) to be 3873.4 +- 1.4 MeV/c2. | result 1.00 | 0.98 | 0.79 | asserted 1.00 |
| s2 | We search for the h_c narrow state in the decay B- --> h_c K-, h_c --> J/psi pi+ pi- and for the decay B- --> J/psi D0 pi-, with D0 --> K- pi+. | contribution 1.00 | 0.94 | 0.03 | asserted 0.70 |
| s3 | We set the 90% C.L. limits Br(B- --> h_c K-)* Br (h_c --> J/psi pi+ pi-) <3.4 * 10-6 and Br(B- --> J/psi D0 pi-) <5.2 * 10-5. | result 1.00 | 0.96 | 0.08 | asserted 0.98 |
What was examined, and what was not
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Figures
Showing 3 of the paper's 4 figures. See all figures in the PDF ↗ Figures reproduced from arXiv:hep-ex/0406022 by the authors.
References
How the literature uses it
86 arXiv papers cite this in 93 sentences
Papers citing it · 43 sentences without a confident label
Contests it 1 paper
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* The ratio $Γ(B^0→K^0 X)/Γ(B^+→K^+ X)$ is about unity according to an estimation based on the molecule picture [ref] , which is about two times larger than measurements by the BaBar [ref] and Belle [ref] Collaborations. * The predicted branching ratios of $X(3872)→D^0 D̅^0 γ$ and $X(3872)→J/ψγ$ [ref] largely deviated from the experimental data. * As a loosely bound hadronic molecule with a small binding energy, $X(3872)$ was expected to be so fragile that it would be hard to explain the observed production rate in the high energy $pp̅$ collisions at the Tevatron [ref] .
The $X(3872)\rightarrow J/\psi \pi \gamma$ and $X(3872)\rightarrow J/\psi \pi\pi \gamma$ decays · Introduction · contest 0.82
Uses its data or values 6 papers
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The Belle and Babar Collaborations have both measured the energy distribution of $J/ψ π^+ π^-$ near the $X(3872)$ resonance for the decay $B^+ →K^+ + J/ψ π^+ π^-$ [ref] .
Line Shapes of the X(3872) · Experimental data · 0.82
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Measurements of the mass of the $X(3872)$ by the Belle, CDF, Babar, and D0 collaborations [ref] , combined with a new measurement of the $D^0$ mass by the CLEO collaboration [ref] , imply that the mass is extremely close to the $D^*0 D̅^0$ threshold:
An Estimate of the Partial Width for X(3872) into p p-bar · Introduction · 0.87
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The typical $X(3872)$ state, which was discovered by the Belle Collaboration [ref] and subsequently confirmed by the CDF Collaboration [ref] and BABAR Collaboration [ref] , is summarized $M_X=3872.2±0.8$, $Γ_X=3.0^+1.9_-1.4±0.9$ [ref] .
Study the Heavy Molecular States in Quark Model with Meson Exchange Interaction · Introduction · 0.95
Cites it as background 42 papers
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The discovery of the narrow charmoniumlike state with a mass of about 3.872 GeV [ref] , now known as the $χ_c1(3872)$, led to a renewed interest in exotic hadrons since their existence were prophesized in the 1960s [ref] .
Hadroproduction data support tetraquark hypothesis for $\chi_{c1} (3872)$ · Introduction · 0.98
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It has been almost ten years since the narrow $$ state was discovered in $B^+$ decays by the Belle experiment [ref] .[The inclusion of charge-conjugate states is implied in this Letter.] Subsequently, its existence has been confirmed by several other experiments [ref] .
Determination of the X(3872) meson quantum numbers · Introduction · 0.98
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The $X(3872)$ is a hadronic resonance near 3872 MeV discovered in 2003 by the Belle Collaboration [ref] and subsequently confirmed by the CDF, Babar, and D0 Collaborations [ref] .
Line Shapes of the X(3872) · Introduction · 0.98
Discussion
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