Direct CP violation in charmless three-body decays of B± mesons

Abstract

Measurements of CP asymmetries in charmless three-body decays of B± mesons are reported using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.9 fb-1. The previously observed CP asymmetry in B±→π±K+K- decays is confirmed, and CP asymmetries are observed with a significance of more than five standard deviations in the B±→π±π+π- and B±→K±K+K- decays, while the CP asymmetry of B±→K±π+π- decays is confirmed to be compatible with zero. The distributions of these asymmetries are also studied as a function of the three-body phase space and suggest contributions from rescattering and resonance interference processes. An indication of the presence of the decays B±→π±χc0(1P) in both B±→π±π+π- and B±→π±K+K- decays is observed, as is CP violation involving these amplitudes.