Measurement of the D* longitudinal polarization in B0 →d*-τ+ντ decays

Abstract

The longitudinal polarization fraction of the D* meson is measured in B0→D*-τ+ντ decays, where the τ lepton decays to three charged pions and a neutrino, using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 fb-1. The D* polarization fraction FLD* is measured in two q2 regions, below and above 7 GeV2/c4, where q2 is defined as the squared invariant mass of the τντ system. The FLD∗ values are measured to be 0.52±0.07±0.04 and 0.34±0.08±0.02 for the lower and higher q2 regions, respectively. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The average value over the whole q2 range is FLD∗=0.41±0.06±0.03. These results are compatible with the Standard Model predictions.