Measurement of the Cross Sections of Ξc0 and Ξc+ Baryons and of the Branching-Fraction Ratio BR (Ξc0 → Ξ-e+νe)/BR (Ξc0 → Ξ-π+) in pp Collisions at s =13 TeV

The p(T)-differential cross sections of prompt charm-strange baryons Xi(0)(c) and Xi(+)(c) were measured at midrapidity (vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.5) in proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy root s = 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The Xi(0)(c) baryon was reconstructed via both the semileptonic decay (Xi(-)e(+)nu(e)) and the hadronic decay (Xi(-)pi(+)) channels. The Xi(+)(c) baryon was reconstructed via the hadronic decay (Xi(-)pi(+)pi(+)) channel. The branching-fraction ratio BR (Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-)e(+)nu(e))/BR(Xi(0)(c) -> Xi(-)pi(+)) = 1.38 +/- 0.14(stat) +/- 0.22(syst) was measured with a total uncertainty reduced by a factor of about 3 with respect to the current world average reported by the Particle Data Group. The transverse momentum (p(T)) dependence of the Xi(0)(c)- and Xi(+)(c)-baryon production relative to the D-0 meson and to the Sigma(0,+,+,+)(c)- and Lambda(+)(c)-baryon production are reported. The baryon-to-meson ratio increases toward low p(T) up to a value of approximately 0.3. The measurements are compared with various models that take different hadronization mechanisms into consideration. The results provide stringent constraints to these theoretical calculations and additional evidence that different processes are involved in charm hadronization in electron-positron (e(+)e(-)) and hadronic collisions.