Model-Independent Evidence for J /ψp Contributions to Λb0 →j /ψpK- Decays

Abstract

The data sample of Λb0→J/ψpK- decays acquired with the LHCb detector from 7 and 8 TeV pp collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb-1, is inspected for the presence of J/ψp or J/ψK- contributions with minimal assumptions about K-p contributions. It is demonstrated at more than nine standard deviations that Λb0→J/ψpK- decays cannot be described with K-p contributions alone, and that J/ψp contributions play a dominant role in this incompatibility. These model-independent results support the previously obtained model-dependent evidence for Pc+→J/ψp charmonium-pentaquark states in the same data sample.