Selected topics in e^+e^- collisions

Content : 1) The leading twist pion wave function, 2) "Improved" QCD sum rules with non-local condensates, 3) Pion and kaon form factors and charmonium decays: theory vs experiment, 4) \gamma^{*}\gamma\pi^{o} - form factor, 5) The new non-local axial anomaly, 6) Cross sections \gamma\gamma --> \pi^+\pi^-, K^+K^-, K_S K_S .Comment: Talk given at the International Workshop "e^+e^- collisions from \phi to J/\psi", March 1, 2006, Novosibirsk, Russia; 20 pages, 7 figures; v2: sect.2 expanded to clarify the argumentation, a number of small improvements in the tex

New Physics Effects and Hadronic Form Factor Uncertainties in B -> K^* l^+ l^-

It is well known that New Physics can contribute to weak decays of heavy mesons via virtual processes during its decays. The discovery of New Physics, using such decays is made difficult due to intractable strong interaction effects needed to describe it. Modes such as B -> K^* l^+ l^- offer an advantage as they provide a multitude of observables via angular analysis. We show how the multitude of "related observables" obtained from B -> K^* l^+ l^-, can provide many new "clean tests" of the Standard Model. The hallmark of these tests is that several of them are independent of the unknown universal form factors in heavy quark effective theory. We derive a relation between observables that is free of form factors and Wilson coefficients, the violation of which will be an unambiguous signal of New Physics. We also derive relations between observables and form factors that are independent of Wilson coefficients and enable verification of hadronic estimates. We show how form factor ratios can be measured directly from helicity fraction with out any assumptions what so ever. We find that the allowed parameter space for observables is very tightly constrained in Standard Model, thereby providing clean signals of New Physics. We examine both the large-recoil and low-recoil regions of the K^* meson and point out special features and derive relations between observables valid in the two limits. In the large-recoil regions several of the relations are unaffected by corrections to all orders in \alpha_s. We present yet another new relation involving only observables that would verify the validity of the relations between form-factors assumed in the low-recoil region. The several relations and constraints derived will provide unambiguous signals of New Physics if it contributes to these decays.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures (20 pdf figure files). Several typos correcte

Has the E791 experiment measured the pion wave function profile ?

The cross section of hard diffractive dissociation of the pion into two jets is calculated. It is obtained that the distribution of longitudinal momenta for jets is not simply proportional to the profile of the pion wave function, but depends on it in a complicated way. In particular, it is shown that, under the conditions of the E791 experiment, the momentum distribution of jets is similar in its shape for the asymptotic and CZ wave functions, and even the ratio of the differential cross sections is not far from unity.Comment: additional explanations inserted, the overall normalization correcte

Estimates of flavoured scalar production in B - decays

Estimates are presented for the branching ratios of several two-particle B-meson decays into flavoured scalar mesons.Comment: 6 pages, Latex, no figures; small improvement

Double charmonium production in exclusive bottomonia decays

This paper is devoted to the leading twist exclusive bottomonia decays with double charmonium in the final state. Using models of the twist-2 charmonia distribution amplitudes the widths of these decays are calculated within light cone formalism. In addition, the processes under consideration are studied within nonrelativistic QCD. In our analysis we have found that the production of some of the $P$-wave charmonia mesons with $L_z \neq 0$ is allowed already at the leading twist approximation. This means that the selection rules which predict the suppression of such decays are violated. The mechanism which lies behind this violation is discussed.Comment: Minor changes, some references adde

Study of exclusive processes e^+ e^- \to VP

This paper is devoted to consideration of the hard exclusive processes $e^+e^- \to VP$, where $V=\rho,\phi; P=\eta,\eta'$. Experimental measurement of the cross section of the process $e^+ e^- \to \phi\eta$ at BaBar collaboration at large center mass energy $\sqrt s=10.6$ GeV and some low energy experimental data $\sqrt s \sim 2-4$ GeV give us the possibility to study the cross section in the broad energy region. As the result, we have determined the asymptotic behavior of the cross section of $e^+ e^- \to \phi\eta$ in the limit $s \to \infty$, which is in agreement with perturbative QCD prediction. Assuming that the same asymptotic behavior is valid for the other processes under consideration and using low energy experimental data we have predicted the cross sections of these processes at energies $\sqrt s=3.67,~10.6$ GeV. In addition, we have calculated the cross sections of these processes at the same energies within perturbative QCD. Our results are in agreement with available experimental data.Comment: 10 pages, 2 tables, 6 figures; minor changes; article accepted to publication is Phys. Rev.

Probing Quark Distribution Amplitudes Through Generalized Parton Distributions at Large Momentum Transfer

In the large momentum transfer limit, generalized parton distributions can be calculated through a QCD factorization theorem which involves perturbatively-calculable hard kernels and light-cone parton distribution amplitudes of hadrons. We illustrate this through the $H_q(x,\xi,t)$ distribution for the pion and proton, presenting the hard kernels at leading order. As a result, experimental data on the generalized parton distributions in this regime can be used to determine the functional form of the parton distribution amplitudes which has thus far been quite challenging to obtain. Our result can also be used as a constraint in phenomenological GPD parametrizations.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; new references and figure added, errors correcte