Paper detail

Weak phases and CP-symmetry tests in sequential decays of entangled double-strange baryons

Using a sample of $1.31\times10^9$ $J/ψ$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the electron-positron collider BEPCII, we analyse the full $J/ψ\to$ $Ξ^-\overlineΞ^+$, $Ξ^-\to Λπ^-$, $Λ\to pπ^-$, $\overlineΞ^+\to\overlineΛπ^+$, $\overlineΛ\to\overline{p}π^+$ decay chain. A new method, exploiting the fact that the $Ξ^-\overlineΞ^+$ pair is entangled and sequentially decaying, and where the complete decay chains are reconstructed, is applied for the first time. This enables precision measurements of the decay parameters for the $Ξ^-\toΛπ^-$ decay ($α_Ξ$, $ϕ_Ξ$) as well as the $\overlineΞ^+\to\overlineΛπ^+$ decay ($\overlineα_Ξ$, $\overlineϕ_Ξ$). From the decay parameters, two independent CP tests were performed, quantified by the observables $A_{\rm CP}^Ξ$ and $Δϕ_Ξ$. Our results, $A_{\rm CP}^Ξ$ = $(6.0\pm13.4\pm5.6)\times10^{-3}$ and $Δϕ_Ξ= (-4.8\pm13.7\pm2.9)\times10^{-3}~{\rm rad}$, are consistent with CP symmetry. Furthermore, our method enables a separation of strong and weak $Ξ\toΛπ$ decay amplitudes. This results in the first direct measurement of the weak phase difference for any baryon decay. The result is found to be $(ξ_{P} - ξ_{S}) = (1.2\pm3.4\pm0.8)\times10^{-2}$ rad and is one of the most precise tests of CP symmetry for strange baryons. The strong phase difference is measured to be $(δ_P - δ_S) = (-4.0\pm3.3\pm1.7)\times10^{-2}$ rad. In addition, we provide an independent measurement of the recently debated $Λ$ decay parameter, $α_Λ = 0.757 \pm 0.011 \pm 0.008 $. The $Λ\overlineΛ$ asymmetry is measured to be $A_{\rm CP}^Λ = (-3.7\pm11.7\pm9.0)\times10^{-3}$.