The Belle II experiment searches for beyond-the-standard-model physics using the Belle II detector and SuperKEKB collider. The silicon vertex detector (SVD) is crucial for particle tracking. After the 1.5-year shutdown from June 2022, Run 2 began in January 2024; Run 2 operation shows stable noise levels, high signal-to-noise ratios, and hit efficiency over 99%. To manage higher beam background from increased luminosity, new techniques such as hit-time selection and cluster grouping are being developed. These methods increase the acceptable level of occupancy by distinguishing hits from triggered collisions and other sources.

This paper presents the measurements of the angular differential cross sections for the forward production of He, Li, Be, B, C, and N nuclei in the fragmentation process of a 400 MeV/nucleon O-16 beam interacting with a graphite target. Due to the limited data available in this energy regime, these measurements of nuclear fragmentation cross sections are relevant to improve nuclear interaction models for particle therapy and space radioprotection applications. The data analyzed in this paper were collected during a measurement campaign carried out at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research facility in Darmstadt (Germany) by the FOOT Collaboration. The results are compared with similar results found in the literature and with a previous FOOT measurement of the same process, using the same setup, from a previous pilot run performed at GSI. The pilot run data, however, had limited statistics and only allowed for the measurement of elemental fragmentation cross sections integrated in the setup acceptance. This data set, with statistics more than 100 times larger compared to the data collected in the previous run, enabled the measurement of angular differential cross sections, fully exploiting the granularity of the FOOT Delta E-TOF (time-of-flight) system. Furthermore, a better comprehension of the FOOT apparatus allowed to improve the analysis techniques, leading to a reduction in the final systematic uncertainties. The cross section results have been compared with some of the prominent Monte Carlo models of FLUKA and Geant4 dedicated to the energy range of interest for light ion fragmentation physics.

We measure the time-integrated CP asymmetry in D-0 -> (KSKS0)-K-0 decays reconstructed in e(+)e(-) -> c (c) over bar events collected by the Belle and Belle II experiments. The corresponding data samples have integrated luminosities of 980 and 428 fb(-1), respectively. The D-0 decays are required to originate from the D*(+) -> D-0 pi(+) decay, which determines the charm flavor at production time. A control sample of D-0 -> K+K- decays is used to correct for production and detection asymmetries. The result, (-1.4 +/- 1.3(stat) +/- 0.1(syst))%, is consistent with previous determinations and with CP symmetry.

We present measurements of B → K*(892)γ decays using 365 fb−1 of data collected from 2019 to 2022 by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e+e− collider. The data sample contains (387 ± 6) × 106 Υ(4S) events. We measure branching fractions ( ℬ ) and CP asymmetries ( 𝒜_CP ) for both B0 → K*0γ and B+ → K*+γ decays. The difference in CP asymmetries ( Δ𝒜_CP ) and the isospin asymmetry (∆0+) between these neutral and charged channels are also measured. We obtain the following branching fractions and CP asymmetries: ℬ(B^0→K^*0γ)=(4.14± 0.10± 0.11)×10^-5 , ℬ(B^+→K^*+γ)=(4.04±0.13_-0.15^+0.13)×10^-5 , 𝒜_CP(B^0→K^*0γ)=(-3.3± 2.3± 0.4)% , and Δ𝒜_CP(B^+→K^*+γ)=(-0.7± 2.9± 0.5)% . The measured difference in CP asymmetries is Δ𝒜_CP=(+2.6±3.8± 0.6)% , and the measured isospin asymmetry is ∆0+ = (+4.8 ± 2.0 ± 1.8)

We perform the first search for CP violation in D_(s)^+→K_S^0K^-π^+π^+ decays. We use a combined data set from the Belle and Belle II experiments, which study e+e− collisions at center-of-mass energies at or near the Υ(4S) resonance. We use 980 fb−1 of data from Belle and 428 fb−1 of data from Belle II. We measure six CP-violating asymmetries that are based on triple products and quadruple products of the momenta of final-state particles, and also the particles’ helicity angles. We obtain a precision at the level of 0.5 D^+→K_S^0K^-π^+π^+ decays, and better than 0.3 D_s^+→K_S^0K^-π^+π^+ decays. No evidence of CP violation is found. Our results for the triple-product asymmetries are the most precise to date for singly-Cabibbo-suppressed D+ decays. Our results for the other asymmetries are the first such measurements performed for charm decays.

We present measurements of B+ -> rho(+) gamma and B-0 -> rho(0) gamma. decays using a combined data sample of 772 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs collected by the Belle experiment and 387 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs collected by the Belle II experiment in e(+) e(-) collisions at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. After an optimized selection, a simultaneous fit to the Belle and Belle II datasets yields 114 +/- 12 B+ -> rho(+) gamma. and 99 +/- 12 B-0 -> rho(0) gamma decays. The measured branching fractions are (13.1(-1.9-1.2)(+2.0+1.3)) x 10(-7) and (7.6 +/- 1.3(-0.8)(+1.0)) x 10(-7) for B+ -> rho(+) gamma. and B-0 -> rho(0) gamma. decays, respectively, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. We also measure the isospin asymmetry A(I)(B -> rho gamma) = (10.9(-11.7-7.3)(+11.2+7.8))% and the direct CP asymmetry A(CP)(B+ -> rho(+) gamma) = (-8.2 +/- 15.2(-1.3)(+2.0))%.

The fragmentation cross sections of carbon ion beams with kinetic energies of 115 - 353 MeV/u impinging on thin targets of graphite (C), polyvinyl-toluene (C_9H_10) and PMMA (C_2O_5H_8) have been measured at 90^o and 60^o at the CNAO particle therapy center (Pavia, Italy). The presented measurements are a complete reanalysis by the FOOT collaboration of already published elemental cross section on composite targets, in order to refine the analysis, improve the systematic uncertainties and show the comparison with the FLUKA Monte Carlo code calculations. In this work, the kinetic energy at production of measured fragments has been completely redefined, together with the efficiencies computation. The new analysis strategy has been successfully validated against the Monte Carlo cross sections. Two detection arms were positioned at two different angles to perform the measurement at 90^o and 60^o. The fragment species have been identified in charge (Z_id = H) and mass (M_id = ^1H, ^2H, ^3H) combining the information of the deposited energy in thin plastic scintillators, of the deposited energy in a thick LYSO crystal and of the fragments Time of Flight (ToF) measurement. The ToF was also used to compute the fragments measured kinetic energy. The cross sections are presented as a function of the fragments kinetic energy at production thanks to an unfolding technique applied to the data.

Abstract We report measurements of the absolute branching fractions $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}_{s}^{\pm }X\right)$$ , $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{0}/{\overline{D} }^{0}X\right)$$ , and $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{\pm }X\right)$$ , where the latter is measured for the first time. The results are based on a 121.4 fb −1 data sample collected at the Υ(10860) resonance by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider. We reconstruct one $${B}_{s}^{0}$$ meson in $${e}^{+}{e}^{-}\to \Upsilon\left(10860\right)\to {B}_{s}^{*}{\overline{B} }_{s}^{*}$$ events and measure yields of $${D}_{s}^{+}$$ , D 0, and D + mesons in the rest of the event. We obtain $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}_{s}^{\pm }X\right)=\left(68.6\pm 7.2\pm 4.0\right)\%$$ , $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{0}/{\overline{D} }^{0}X\right)=\left(21.5\pm 6.1\pm 1.8\right)\%$$ , and $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{\pm }X\right)=\left(12.6\pm 4.6\pm 1.3\right)\%$$ , where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Averaging with previous Belle measurements gives $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}_{s}^{\pm }X\right)=\left(63.4\pm 4.5\pm 2.2\right)\%$$ and $$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{0}/{\overline{D} }^{0}X\right)=\left(23.9\pm 4.1\pm 1.8\right)\%$$ . For the $${B}_{s}^{0}$$ production fraction at the Υ(10860), we find $${f}_{s}=\left({21.4}_{-1.7}^{+1.5}\right)\%$$ .

The SuperKEKB collider will undergo a major upgrade at the end of the decade to reach the target luminosity of 6x1035 cm-2s-1, offering the opportunity to install a new fully pixelated vertex detector (VTX) for the Belle II experiment, based on depleted-MAPS sensors. The VTX will be more granular and robust against the expected higher level of machine background and more performant in terms of standalone track finding efficiency. The VTX baseline design includes five depleted-MAPS sensor layers, spanning radii from 14 mm to 140 mm, with a material budget ranging from 0.2% to 0.8% X/X0 per layer. All layers will be equipped with the same OBELIX sensor, designed in the TowerJazz 180 nm technology, with the pixel matrix derived from the TJ-Monopix2 sensor originally developed for the ATLAS experiment. The paper will describe the proposed VTX structure and review all project aspects: tests of the TJ-Monopix2 sensor, OBELIX-1 design status, ladder prototype fabrication and tests.

We present a measurement of the branching fraction and time-dependent charge-parity (CP) decay-rate asymmetries in B0→J/ψπ0 decays. The data sample was collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB asymmetric e+e− collider in 2019–2022 and contains (387±6)×106 BB¯ meson pairs from ϒ(4S) decays. We reconstruct 392±24 signal decays and fit the CP parameters from the distribution of the proper-decay-time difference of the two B mesons. We measure the branching fraction to be (B0→J/ψπ0)=(2.00±0.12±0.09)×10−5 and the direct and mixing-induced CP asymmetries to be CCP=0.13±0.12±0.03 and SCP=−0.88±0.17±0.03, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We observe mixing-induced CP violation with a significance of 5.0 standard deviations for the first time in this mode. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

A series of data samples was collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider from March 2019 to June 2022. We determine the integrated luminosities of these data samples using three distinct methodologies involving Bhabha (e(+) e(-) -> e(+) e(-)(n gamma)), digamma (e(+) e(-) -> gamma gamma(n gamma)), and dimuon (e(+) e(-) -> mu(+) mu(-)(n gamma)) events. The total integrated luminosity obtained with Bhabha, digamma, and dimuon events is (426.88 +/- 0.03 +/- 2.61) fb(-1), (429.28 +/- 0.03 +/- 2.62) fb(-1), and (423.99 +/- 0.04 +/- 3.83) fb(-1), where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The resulting total integrated luminosity obtained from the combination of the three methods is (427.87 +/- 2.01) fb(-1).

The FOOT experiment of INFN is devoted to the measurement of the nuclear fragmentation double differential cross sections useful for the improvement of calculation models adopted in hadrontherapy and radioprotection. A detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the FOOT magnetic spectrometer has been implemented in order to optimize the design and to guide data analysis. This task has been accomplished by means of the FLUKA Monte Carlo code. The input files of the FLUKA simulations are created from the software framework of the experiment, in order to have a consistent generation and description of geometry and materials in both simulation and data analysis. In addition, this ensures the possibility of processing both simulated and real data with the same data analysis procedures. Databases containing specific parameters describing the setup employed in each different data taking campaign are used. A customized event-by-event output of the Monte Carlo code has been developed. It can be read out by the general software framework of FOOT, enabling access to the generation history of all particles in the same event. This output structure therefore gives the possibility to perform a detailed analysis and study of all relevant processes, allowing the detailed tracking reconstruction of all individual particles. Examples of results are presented.

We report measurements of time-dependent CP asymmetries in B^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{0}γ decays based on a data sample of (388±6)×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] events collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle II detector. The Belle II experiment operates at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. We measure decay-time distributions to determine CP -violating parameters S and C. We determine these parameters for two ranges of K_{S}^{0}π^{0} invariant mass: m(K_{S}^{0}π^{0})∈(0.8,1.0)  GeV/c^{2}, which is dominated by B^{0}→K^{*0}(→K_{S}^{0}π^{0})γ decays, and a complementary region m(K_{S}^{0}π^{0})∈(0.6,0.8)∪(1.0,1.8)  GeV/c^{2}. Our results have improved precision as compared to previous measurements and are consistent with theory predictions.

We present a study of Xi c0 ->Xi 00, Xi c0 ->Xi 0 eta, and Xi c0 ->Xi 0 eta decays using the Belle and Belle II data samples, which have integrated luminosities of 980 fb(-1) and 426 fb(-1), respectively. We measure the following relative branching fractions B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)pi(0))/ B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-)pi(+)) = 0.48 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.03(syst), B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)eta)/B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-)pi(+)) = 0.11 +/- 0.01(stat) +/- 0.01(syst), B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)eta')/ B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-)pi(+)) = 0.08 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.01(syst) for the first time, where the uncertainties are statistical (stat) and systematic (syst). By multiplying by the branching fraction of the normalization mode, B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-) pi(+)), we obtain the following absolute branching fraction results B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)pi(0)) = (6.9 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.5(syst) +/- 1.3(norm)) x 10(-3), B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)eta) = (1.6 +/- 0.2(stat) +/- 0.2(syst) +/- 0.3(norm)) x 10(-3), B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)eta') = (1.2 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.1(syst) +/- 0.2(norm)) x 10(-3), where the third uncertainties are from B(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-) pi(+)). The asymmetry parameter for Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)pi(0) is measured to be alpha(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(0)pi(0)) = -0.90 +/- 0.15(stat) +/- 0.23(syst).

We report on a search for a resonance X decaying to a pair of muons in e+e−→μ+μ−X events in the 0.212–9.000 GeV/c2 mass range, using 178 fb−1 of data collected by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider at a center of mass energy of 10.58 GeV. The analysis probes two different models of X beyond the standard model: a Z′ vector boson in the Lμ−Lτ model and a muonphilic scalar. We observe no evidence for a signal and set exclusion limits at the 90% confidence level on the products of cross section and branching fraction for these processes, ranging from 0.046 fb to 0.97 fb for the Lμ−Lτ model and from 0.055 fb to 1.3 fb for the muonphilic scalar model. For masses below 6 GeV/c2, the corresponding constraints on the couplings of these processes to the standard model range from 0.0008 to 0.039 for the Lμ−Lτ model and from 0.0018 to 0.040 for the muonphilic scalar model. These are the first constraints on the muonphilic scalar from a dedicated search. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

We search for the rare decay B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar in a 362 fb(-1) sample of electron-positron collisions at the Upsilon(4S) resonance collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We use the inclusive properties of the accompanying B meson in Upsilon(4S) -> B (B) over bar events to suppress background from other decays of the signal B candidate and light-quark pair production. We validate the measurement with an auxiliary analysis based on a conventional hadronic reconstruction of the accompanying B meson. For background suppression, we exploit distinct signal features using machine learning methods tuned with simulated data. The signal-reconstruction efficiency and background suppression are validated through various control channels. The branching fraction is extracted in a maximum likelihood fit. Our inclusive and hadronic analyses yield consistent results for the B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar branching fraction of [2.7 +/- 0.5(stat) +/- 0.5(syst)] x 10(-5) and [1.1(-0.8)(+0.9)(stat)(-0.5)(+0.8)(syst)] x 10(-5), respectively. Combining the results, we determine the branching fraction of the decay B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar to be [2.3 +/- 0.5_stat)(-0.4)(+0.5)(syst)] x 10(-5), providing the first evidence for this decay at 3.5 standard deviations. The combined result is 2.7 standard deviations above the standard model expectation.

We present measurements of the branching fractions of eight B^0→ D^(*)+ K^- K^(*)0_(S), B^-→ D^(*)0 K^- K^(*)0_(S) decay channels. The results are based on data from SuperKEKB electron-positron collisions at the Υ(4S) resonance collected with the Belle II detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 362 fb^-1. The event yields are extracted from fits to the distributions of the difference between expected and observed B meson energy, and are efficiency-corrected as a function of m(K^-K^(*)0_(S)) and m(D^(*)K^(*)0_(S)) in order to avoid dependence on the decay model. These results include the first observation of B^0→ D^+K^-K_S^0, B^-→ D^*0K^-K_S^0, and B^0→ D^*+K^-K_S^0 decays and a significant improvement in the precision of the other channels compared to previous measurements. The helicity-angle distributions and the invariant mass distributions of the K^- K^(*)0_(S) systems are compatible with quasi-two-body decays via a resonant transition with spin-parity J^P=1^- for the K^-K_S^0 systems and J^P= 1^+ for the K^-K^*0 systems. We also present measurements of the branching fractions of four B^0→ D^(*)+ D_s^-, B^-→ D^(*)0 D_s^- decay channels with a precision compatible to the current world averages.

We report measurements of the e(+)e(-) -> B (B) over bar, B (B) over bar*, and B*(B) over bar* cross sections at four energies, 10653, 10701, 10746 and 10805 MeV, using data collected by the Belle II experiment. We reconstruct one B meson in a large number of hadronic final states and use its momentum to identify the production process. In the first 2 - 5 MeV above B* B* threshold, the e(+)e(-) -> B*(B) over bar* cross section increases rapidly. This may indicate the presence of a pole close to the threshold.

Abstract We report results from a study of B±→ DK± decays followed by D decaying to the CP-even final state K+K− and CP-odd final state $$ {K}_S^0{\pi}^0 $$ K S 0 π 0 , where D is an admixture of D0 and $$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$ D ¯ 0 states. These decays are sensitive to the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity-triangle angle ϕ3. The results are based on a combined analysis of the final data set of 772 × 106$$ B\overline{B} $$ B B ¯ pairs collected by the Belle experiment and a data set of 198 × 106$$ B\overline{B} $$ B B ¯ pairs collected by the Belle II experiment, both in electron-positron collisions at the Υ(4S) resonance. We measure the CP asymmetries to be $$ \mathcal{A} $$ A CP+ = (+12.5 ± 5.8 ± 1.4)% and $$ \mathcal{A} $$ A CP− = (−16.7 ± 5.7 ± 0.6)%, and the ratios of branching fractions to be $$ \mathcal{R} $$ R CP+ = 1.164 ± 0.081 ± 0.036 and $$ \mathcal{R} $$ R CP− = 1.151 ± 0.074 ± 0.019. The first contribution to the uncertainties is statistical, and the second is systematic. The asymmetries $$ \mathcal{A} $$ A CP+ and $$ \mathcal{A} $$ A CP− have similar magnitudes and opposite signs; their difference corresponds to 3.5 standard deviations. From these values we calculate 68.3% confidence intervals of (8.5° < ϕ3 < 16.5°) or (84.5° < ϕ3 < 95.5°) or (163.3° < ϕ3 < 171.5°) and 0.321 < rB < 0.465.