Measurement of the $Ω_b^-$ baryon lifetime

Abstract

The lifetime ratio ${r_τ\equivτ_{Ω_b^-}/τ_{Ξ_b^-}}$ between the ${Ω_b^-}$ and ${Ξ_b^-}$ baryons is measured using a sample of $pp$ collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb$^{-1}$ and collected by the LHCb experiment during LHC Run 2 (2015$-$2018). The ratio $r_τ$ is measured in two sets of decays modes, ${ {(Ω_b^-,Ξ_b^-)\to(Ω_c^0π^-,Ξ_c^0π^-)}}$ and ${(Ω_b^-,Ξ_b^-)\to(J/ψΩ^-, J/ψΞ^-)}$, with ${(Ω_c^0,Ξ_c^0)\to pK^-K^-π^+}$, ${(Ω^-,Ξ^-)\to(Λ^0 K^-,Λ^0π^-)}$, ${Λ^0\to pπ^-}$ and $J/ψ\toμ^+μ^-$. The measured $r_τ$ values are averaged and combined with Run 1 (2011$-$2012) measurements in the same decay modes to obtain ${r_τ = 1.109\pm0.055\pm0.010}$. Multiplying by the known ${Ξ_b^-}$ lifetime results in the ${Ω_b^-}$ lifetime ${τ_{Ω_b^-} = 1.751\pm0.089\pm0.022~{\rm ps}}$, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic. This measurement improves on the precision of the $Ω_b^-$ lifetime by about a factor of two over the previous world average. The value of $r_τ$ is in agreement with the most recent theoretical predictions from the heavy quark expansion framework.