Direct Limits on the B(0)(s) Oscillation Frequency

Abstract

We report results of a study of the B(0)(s) oscillation frequency using a large sample of B(0)(s) semileptonic decays corresponding to approximately 1 fb(−1) of integrated luminosity collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider in 2002–2006. The amplitude method gives a lower limit on the B(0)(s) oscillation frequency at 14.8 ps(−1) at the 95% C.L. At Δms=19 ps(−1), the amplitude deviates from the hypothesis A=0 (1) by 2.5 (1.6) standard deviations, corresponding to a two-sided C.L. of 1% (10%). A likelihood scan over the oscillation frequency, Δms, gives a most probable value of 19 ps(−1) and a range of 17<Δms<21 ps(−1) at the 90% C.L., assuming Gaussian uncertainties. This is the first direct two-sided bound measured by a single experiment. If Δms lies above 22 ps(−1), then the probability that it would produce a likelihood minimum similar to the one observed in the interval 16–22 ps(−1) is (5.0±0.3)%.