LHCb Research Articles

Investigating the B-meson production based on the color dipole transverse momentum representation in pp collisions at the LHC

In this work the B-mesons differential cross sections in pp collisions are evaluated considering the color dipole formalism in transverse momentum representation along with the unintegrated gluon distributions (UGDs). Analytical parametrizations for UGDs including hard scale QCD evolution and those based on parton saturation framework are compared. The theoretical predictions for the B-meson production in terms of the transverse momentum distribution cover the center-of-mass energy of the Large Hadron Collider and the rapidities available at its experiments. The results for different B-mesons are compared to the corresponding measurements reported by the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments. Predictions are also performed for the nuclear modification factor as a function of the meson transverse momentum.

LHCb potential to discover long-lived new physics particles with lifetimes above 100 ps

For years, it has been believed that the main LHC detectors can play only a limited role of a lifetime frontier experiment exploring the parameter space of long-lived particles (LLPs)—hypothetical particles with tiny couplings to the Standard Model. This paper demonstrates that the LHCb experiment may become a powerful lifetime frontier experiment if it uses the new Downstream algorithm reconstructing tracks that do not allow hits in the LHCb vertex tracker. In particular, for many LLP scenarios, LHCb may be as sensitive as the proposed experiments beyond the main LHC detectors for various LLP models, including heavy neutral leptons, dark scalars, dark photons, and axion-like particles.

Maximizing the physics potential of B±→π±μ+μ− decays

We present a method that maximizes the experimental sensitivity to new physics contributions in B±→π±μ+μ− decays. This method relies on performing an unbinned maximum likelihood fit to both the measured dimuon q2 distribution of B±→π±μ+μ− decays, and theory calculations at spacelike q2, where QCD predictions are most reliable. Using known properties of the decay amplitude we employ a dispersion relation to describe the nonlocal hadronic contributions across spacelike and timelike q2 regions. The fit stability and the sensitivity to new physics couplings and new sources of CP-violation are studied for current and future data-taking scenarios, with the LHCb experiment as an example. The proposed method offers a precise and reliable way to search for new physics in these decays. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

0– – hidden-heavy tetraquark states via QCD sum rules* *Supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12247113), the Project funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M723117), and the Specific Fund of Fundamental Scientific Research Operating Expenses for Undergraduate Universities in Liaoning Province, China (2024)

In this study, we evaluated the mass spectra of the prospective hidden-charm and hidden-bottom tetraquark states in molecular configuration via QCD sum rules. In our calculation, the nonperturbative condensate contributions are considered up to dimension eight in operator product expansion. It is found that there could exist 4 possible hidden-charm tetraquark states with masses , , , and GeV. Their corresponding hidden-bottom partners are found lying at , , , and GeV, respectively. The possible tetraquark decay modes were analyzed, which are expected to be measured in BESIII, BELLEII, and LHCb experiments.

Measurements of the branching fraction ratio Bϕ→μ+μ−/Bϕ→e+e−\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{B}\\left(\\phi \ o {\\mu}^{+}{\\mu}^{-}\\right)/\\mathcal{B}\\left(\\phi \ o {\ extrm{e}}^{+}{\ extrm{e}}^{-}\\right) $$\\end{document} with charm meson decays

Measurements of the branching fraction ratio Bϕ→μ+μ−/Bϕ→e+e−\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{B}\\left(\\phi \ o {\\mu}^{+}{\\mu}^{-}\\right)/\\mathcal{B}\\left(\\phi \ o {e}^{+}{e}^{-}\\right) $$\\end{document} with Ds+→π+ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {D}_s^{+}\ o {\\pi}^{+}\\phi $$\\end{document} and D+→ π+ϕ decays, denoted Rϕπs\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {R}_{\\phi \\pi}^s $$\\end{document} and Rϕπd\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {R}_{\\phi \\pi}^d $$\\end{document}, are presented. The analysis is performed using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb−1 of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. The branching fractions are normalised with respect to the B+ → K+J/ψ(→ e+e−) and B+ → K+J/ψ(→ μ+μ−) decay modes. The combination of the results yieldsRϕπ=1.022±0.012stat±0.048syst.\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {R}_{\\phi \\pi}=1.022\\pm 0.012\\left(\ extrm{stat}\\right)\\pm 0.048\\left(\ extrm{syst}\\right). $$\\end{document}The result is compatible with previous measurements of the ϕ → ℓ+ℓ− branching fractions and predictions based on the Standard Model.

Topological heavy-flavor tagging and intrinsic bottom at the Electron-Ion Collider

Heavy-flavor hadron production, in particular bottom hadron production, is difficult to study in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) experiments due to small production rates and branching fractions. To overcome these limitations, a method for identifying heavy-flavor DIS events based on event topology is proposed. Based on a heavy-flavor jet tagging strategy developed for the LHCb experiment, this algorithm uses displaced vertices to identify decays of heavy-flavor hadrons. The algorithm’s performance at the Electron-Ion Collider is demonstrated using simulation, and it is shown to provide discovery potential for nonperturbative intrinsic bottom quarks in the proton. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Study of the B−→K−ηηc decay due to the DD¯ bound state

We study the B−→K−ηηc decay by taking into account the S-wave contributions from the pseudoscalar meson-pseudoscalar meson interactions within the unitary coupled-channel approach, where the DD¯ bound state is dynamically generated. In addition, the contribution from the intermediate resonance K0*(1430)−, with K0*(1430)−→K−η, is also considered. Our results show that there is a clear peak around 3720 MeV in the ηηc invariant mass distribution, which could be associated with the DD¯ bound state. The future precise measurements of the B−→K−ηηc process at the Belle II and LHCb experiments could be, therefore, used to check the existence of the DD¯ bound state, and to deepen our understanding of the hadron-hadron interactions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Interpretation of X(3960) as the hidden charm-strange tetraquark states via QCD sum rules

Recently, a hadronic state, named X(3960), about 3.96 GeV with JPC=0++ was observed in LHCb experiment. From its the decay modes, it's reasonable to categorize this structure to novel hadronic state. In this paper, we examine the tetraquark interpretation for the structure of X(3960) in the configurations of [3c]cs⊗[3¯c]c¯s¯, and the QCD sum rules calculations of the mass spectrum are performing. Numerical results indicted that the observed X(3900) could be embedded into the [3c]cs⊗[3¯c]c¯s¯ configuration. Various X(3960) decay modes are evaluated, which are critical for pinning down its configuration and left for experimental verification. In the same way, we evaluate as well the c¯qc¯q, b¯sb¯s, and b¯qb¯q tetraquark state with 0++ quantum number in the configuration of [3c]cs⊗[3¯c]c¯s¯ and find that there might exist six such ground states.

Measurement of the branching fraction of B0→ J/ψπ0 decays

The ratio of branching fractions between B0 → J/ψπ0 and B+ → J/ψK*+ decays is measured with proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. The measured value isBB0→J/ψπ0BB+→J/ψK∗+=1.153±0.053±0.048×10−2,\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\frac{{\\mathcal{B}}_{B^0\ o J/\\psi {\\pi}^0}}{{\\mathcal{B}}_{B^{+}\ o J/\\psi {K}^{\\ast +}}}=\\left(1.153\\pm 0.053\\pm 0.048\\right)\ imes {10}^{-2}, $$\\end{document}where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The branching fraction for B0 → J/ψπ0 decays is determined using the branching fraction of the normalisation channel, resulting inBB0→J/ψπ0=1.670±0.077±0.069±0.095×10−5,\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {\\mathcal{B}}_{B^0\ o J/\\psi {\\pi}^0}=\\left(1.670\\pm 0.077\\pm 0.069\\pm 0.095\\right)\ imes {10}^{-5}, $$\\end{document}where the last uncertainty corresponds to that of the external input. This result is consistent with the current world average value and competitive with the most precise single measurement to date.

Compatibility and combination of world W-boson mass measurements

The compatibility of W-boson mass measurements performed by the ATLAS, LHCb, CDF, and D0 experiments is studied using a coherent framework with theory uncertainty correlations. The measurements are combined using a number of recent sets of parton distribution functions (PDF), and are further combined with the average value of measurements from the Large Electron–Positron collider. The considered PDF sets generally have a low compatibility with a suite of global rapidity-sensitive Drell–Yan measurements. The most compatible set is CT18 due to its larger uncertainties. A combination of all mW\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$m_W$$\\end{document} measurements yields a value of mW=80,394.6±11.5\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$m_W = 80{,}394.6 \\pm 11.5$$\\end{document} MeV with the CT18 set, but has a probability of compatibility of 0.5% and is therefore disfavoured. Combinations are performed removing each measurement individually, and a 91% probability of compatibility is obtained when the CDF measurement is removed. The corresponding value of the W boson mass is 80,369.2±13.3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$80{,}369.2 \\pm 13.3$$\\end{document} MeV, which differs by 3.6σ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$3.6\\sigma $$\\end{document} from the CDF value determined using the same PDF set.

Intrinsic charm quark valence distribution of the proton

We provide a first quantitative indication that the wave function of the proton contains unequal distributions of charm quarks and antiquarks, i.e., a nonvanishing intrinsic valence charm distribution. A significant nonvanishing valence component cannot be perturbatively generated; hence, our results reinforce previous evidence that the proton contains an intrinsic (i.e., not radiatively generated) charm quark component. We establish our result through a determination of the parton distribution functions of charm quarks and antiquarks in the proton. We propose two novel experimental probes of this intrinsic charm valence component: D-meson asymmetries in Z+c-jet production at the LHCb experiment and flavor-tagged structure functions at the Electron-Ion Collider. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Recent LHCb results on forward physics and diffraction

The LHCb detector at the LHC offers unique coverage of forward rapidities for studies of Central Exclusive Production (CEP) and soft QCD. CEP measurements allow the investigation of the nature of pomerons, and provide constraints on low-x gluon phenomenology, probing potential saturation effects. Moreover LHCb can test phenomenological models of soft QCD processes, by measuring the production of forward hadrons in pp collisions. In this talk the latest results from the LHCb experiment will be presented.

Measurement of Ξc+ production in pPb collisions at sNN=8.16 TeV at LHCb

A study of prompt Ξc+ production in proton-lead collisions is performed with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 8.16 TeV in 2016 in pPb and Pbp collisions with an estimated integrated luminosity of approximately 12.5 and 17.4 nb−1, respectively. The Ξc+ production cross section, as well as the Ξc+ to Λc+ production cross-section ratio, are measured as a function of the transverse momentum and rapidity and compared to the latest theory predictions. The forward-backward asymmetry is also measured as a function of the Ξc+ transverse momentum. The results provide strong constraints on theoretical calculation and are a unique input for hadronization studies in different collision systems. ©2024 CERN, for the LHCb Collaboration 2024 CERN

Determination of the resonant parameters of with global fit*

Abstract Particle was first observed by the Belle experiment in the invariant mass spectrum in the process and subsequently confirmed by the BaBar experiment. Both experiments reported the resonant parameters of this particle in the processes and assuming as an S-wave Breit-Wigner resonance. We performed a global fit to the distributions of invariant mass of measured by the Belle and BaBar experiments and additionally incorporated the measurements reported by the LHCb experiment to extract the mass and width of . We obtained MeV/ and MeV, which are consistent with the values from PDG within one standard deviation but with higher precision.

Amplitude Analysis of the B^{0}→K^{*0}μ^{+}μ^{-} Decay.

An amplitude analysis of the B^{0}→K^{*0}μ^{+}μ^{-} decay is presented using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb^{-1} of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the coefficients associated to short-distance physics effects, sensitive to processes beyond the standard model, are extracted directly from the data through a q^{2}-unbinned amplitude analysis, where q^{2} is the μ^{+}μ^{-} invariant mass squared. Long-distance contributions, which originate from nonfactorizable QCD processes, are systematically investigated, and the most accurate assessment to date of their impact on the physical observables is obtained. The pattern of measured corrections to the short-distance couplings is found to be consistent with previous analyses of b- to s-quark transitions, with the largest discrepancy from the standard model predictions found to be at the level of 1.8 standard deviations. The global significance of the observed differences in the decay is 1.4 standard deviations.

Measurement of J/ψ-pair production in pp collisions at s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s} $$\\end{document} = 13 TeV and study of gluon transverse-momentum dependent PDFs

The production cross-section of J/ψ pairs in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\sqrt{s} $$\\end{document} = 13 TeV is measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.2 fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment. The measurement is performed with both J/ψ mesons in the transverse momentum range 0 < pT< 14 GeV/c and rapidity range 2.0 < y < 4.5. The cross-section of this process is measured to be 16.36 ± 0.28 (stat) ± 0.88 (syst) nb. The contributions from single-parton scattering and double-parton scattering are separated based on the dependence of the cross-section on the absolute rapidity difference ∆y between the two J/ψ mesons. The effective cross-section of double-parton scattering is measured to be σeff = 13.1 ± 1.8 (stat) ± 2.3 (syst) mb. The distribution of the azimuthal angle ϕCS of one of the J/ψ mesons in the Collins-Soper frame and the pT-spectrum of the J/ψ pairs are also measured for the study of the gluon transverse-momentum dependent distributions inside protons. The extracted values of ⟨cos 2ϕCS⟩ and ⟨cos 4ϕCS⟩ are consistent with zero, but the presence of azimuthal asymmetry at a few percent level is allowed.

FunTuple: A New N-tuple Component for Offline Data Processing at the LHCb Experiment

The offline software framework of the LHCb experiment has undergone a significant overhaul to tackle the data processing challenges that will arise in the upcoming Run 3 and Run 4 of the Large Hadron Collider. This paper introduces FunTuple, a novel component developed for offline data processing within the LHCb experiment. This component enables the computation and storage of a diverse range of observables for both reconstructed and simulated events by leveraging on the tools initially developed for the trigger system. This feature is crucial for ensuring consistency between trigger-computed and offline-analysed observables. The component and its tool suite offer users flexibility to customise stored observables, and its reliability is validated through a full-coverage set of rigorous unit tests. This paper comprehensively explores FunTuple’s design, interface, interaction with other algorithms, and its role in facilitating offline data processing for the LHCb experiment for the next decade and beyond.

Enhanced Production of Λ_{b}^{0} Baryons in High-Multiplicity pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.

The production rate of Λ_{b}^{0} baryons relative to B^{0} mesons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s]=13 TeV is measured by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of Λ_{b}^{0} to B^{0} production cross sections shows a significant dependence on both the transverse momentum and the measured charged-particle multiplicity. At low multiplicity, the ratio measured at LHCb is consistent with the value measured in e^{+}e^{-} collisions, and increases by a factor of ∼2 with increasing multiplicity. At relatively low transverse momentum, the ratio of Λ_{b}^{0} to B^{0} cross sections is higher than what is measured in e^{+}e^{-} collisions, but converges with the e^{+}e^{-} ratio as the momentum increases. These results imply that the evolution of heavy b quarks into final-state hadrons is influenced by the density of the hadronic environment produced in the collision. Comparisons with several models and implications for the mechanisms enforcing quark confinement are discussed.

A search for rare B → Dμ+μ− decays

A search for rare B → Dμ+μ− decays is performed using proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. No significant signals are observed in the non-resonant μ+μ− modes, and upper limits of BB0→D¯0μ+μ−<5.1×10−8\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{B}\\left({B}^0\ o {\\overline{D}}^0{\\mu}^{+}{\\mu}^{-}\\right)<5.1\ imes {10}^{-8} $$\\end{document}, BB+→Ds+μ+μ−<3.2×10−8\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{B}\\left({B}^{+}\ o {D}_s^{+}{\\mu}^{+}{\\mu}^{-}\\right)<3.2\ imes {10}^{-8} $$\\end{document}, BBs0→D¯0μ+μ−<1.6×10−7\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{B}\\left({B}_s^0\ o {\\overline{D}}^0{\\mu}^{+}{\\mu}^{-}\\right)<1.6\ imes {10}^{-7} $$\\end{document} and fc/fu·BBc+→Ds+μ+μ−<9.6×10−8\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {f}_c/{f}_u\\cdotp \\mathcal{B}\\left({B}_c^{+}\ o {D}_s^{+}{\\mu}^{+}{\\mu}^{-}\\right)<9.6\ imes {10}^{-8} $$\\end{document} are set at the 95 % confidence level, where fc and fu are the fragmentation fractions of a B meson with a c and u quark respectively in proton-proton collisions. Each result is either the first such measurement or an improvement by three orders of magnitude on an existing limit. Separate upper limits are calculated when the muon pair originates from a J/ψ → μ+μ− decay. The branching fraction of Bc+→Ds+J/ψ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {B}_c^{+}\ o {D}_s^{+}J/\\psi $$\\end{document} multiplied by the fragmentation-fraction ratio is measured to befcfu·BBc+→Ds+J/ψ=1.63±0.15±0.13×10−5,\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\frac{f_c}{f_u}\\cdotp \\mathcal{B}\\left({B}_c^{+}\ o {D}_s^{+}J/\\psi \\right)=\\left(1.63\\pm 0.15\\pm 0.13\\right)\ imes {10}^{-5}, $$\\end{document}where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.

Helium identification with LHCb

The identification of helium nuclei at LHCb is achieved using a method based on measurements of ionisation losses in the silicon sensors and timing measurements in the Outer Tracker drift tubes. The background from photon conversions is reduced using the RICH detectors and an isolation requirement. The method is developed using pp collision data at √(s) = 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment in the years 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb-1. A total of around 105 helium and antihelium candidates are identified with negligible background contamination. The helium identification efficiency is estimated to be approximately 50% with a corresponding background rejection rate of up to 𝒪(1012). These results demonstrate the feasibility of a rich programme of measurements of QCD and astrophysics interest involving light nuclei.