First observation of the $B^+ \rightarrow D_s^+ D_s^- K^+$ decay

Abstract

The $B^+ \rightarrow D_s^+ D_s^- K^+$ decay is observed for the first time using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of $7$, $8$ and $13\, \text{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\,\text{fb}^{-1}$. Its branching fraction relative to that of the $B^{+} \rightarrow D^{+} D^{-} K^{+}$ decay is measured to be $$\frac{B\left(B^{+} \rightarrow D_s^{+} D_s^{-} K^{+}\right)}{B\left(B^{+} \rightarrow D^{+} D^{-} K^{+}\right)}=0.525 \pm 0.033 \pm 0.027 \pm 0.034,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainties on the branching fractions of the $D_s^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{\mp} K^{\pm} \pi^{\pm}$ and $D^{\pm} \rightarrow K^{\mp} \pi^{\pm} \pi^{\pm}$ decays. This measurement fills an experimental gap in the knowledge of the family of Cabibbo$-$favoured $\bar{b} \rightarrow \bar{c} c \bar{s}$ transitions and opens the path for unique studies of spectroscopy in future.