Lepton energy moments in semileptonic charm decays

We search for signals of Weak Annihilation in inclusive semileptonic D decays. We consider both the widths and the lepton energy moments, which are quite sensitive probes. Our analysis of Cleo data shows no clear evidence of Weak Annihilation, and allows us to put bounds on their relevance in charmless B semileptonic decays.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. Added discussion, version as publishe

Beauty hadron lifetime ratios and the problem of τ(Λb)\tau(\Lambda_b)

We describe a theoretical approach to compute inclusive widths of heavy hadrons, based on a systematic expansion in the inverse powers of the heavy quark mass. The method reproduces quite well the experimental ratios of $B$ mesons lifetimes. As for $\tau(\Lambda_b)/\tau(B_d)$, we present a QCD sum rule calculation of the $O(m_b^{-3})$ contribution to $\tau(\Lambda_b)$; we conclude that such correction is not responsible of the small experimental value of $\tau(\Lambda_b)/\tau(B_d)$.Comment: Talk presented at the Fifth Topical Seminar on The Irresistible Rise of the Standard Model, San Miniato, Italy, April 21-25, 1997. Latex, 4 pages, 1 figur

Bloch-Nordsieck cancellations beyond logarithms in heavy particle decays

We investigate the one-loop radiative corrections to the semileptonic decay of a charged particle at finite gauge boson mass. Extending the Bloch-Nordsieck cancellation of infrared logarithms, the subsequent non-analytic terms are also found to vanish after eliminating the pole mass in favor of a mass defined at short distances. This observation justifies the operator product expansion for inclusive decays of heavy mesons and implies that infrared effects associated with the summation of the radiative corrections are suppressed by at least three powers of the mass of the heavy decaying particle.Comment: LATEX, 7 pages, one figure appended as uu-encoded ps-file, MPI-PhT/94-1

V_{ub} from the Hadronic Invariant Mass Spectrum in Semileptonic B Decay

The hadronic invariant mass spectrum for the inclusive charmless semileptonic decay $B\to X_u e \bar\nu_e$ is studied. Particular attention is paid to the region $s_H<m_D^2$, which may be useful for extracting the value of $|V_{ub}|$. The sensitivity of the spectrum to the parameter $\bar\Lambda \equiv m_B - m_b$ is explored. Perturbative QCD corrections to $d\Gamma/ds_H$ of order $\alpha_s^2\beta_0$ are calculated. For $s_H \sim \bar\Lambda m_b$ nonperturbative QCD effects are important and the shape of the invariant mass spectrum is controlled by the B meson matrix element of an infinite sum of local operators. The utility of the hadronic mass spectrum for extracting $|V_{ub}|$ is explored.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, uses REVTeX and eps

Precision Studies of Duality in the 't Hooft Model

We address numerical aspects of local quark-hadron duality using the example of the exactly solvable 't Hooft model, two-dimensional QCD with N_c --> infinity. The primary focus of these studies is total semileptonic decay widths relevant for extracting |V_{cb}| and |V_{ub}|. We compare the exact channel-by-channel sum of exclusive modes to the corresponding rates obtained in the standard 1/m_Q expansion arising from the Operator Product Expansion. An impressive agreement sets in unexpectedly early, immediately after the threshold for the first hadronic excitation in the final state. Yet even at higher energy release it is possible to discern the seeds of duality-violating oscillations. We find the ``Small Velocity'' sum rules to be exceptionally well saturated already by the first excited state. We also obtain a convincing degree of duality in the differential distributions and in an analogue of R_{e^+e^-}(s). Finally, we discuss possible lessons for semileptonic decays of actual heavy quarks in QCD.Comment: 45 pages, 16 eps figures include

A Comprehensive Four-Quark Interpretation of D_s(2317), D_s(2457) and D_s(2632)

The recently observed new member of the charm-strange family D_s(2632) which has a surprisingly narrow width is challenging our theory. D_s(2317) and D_s(2457) which were observed earlier have similar behaviors and receive various theoretical explanations. Some authors use the heavy hadron chiral effective theory to evaluate heavy-light quark systems and obtain a reasonable evaluation on the masses of D_s(2317) and D_s(2457). An alternative picture is to interpret them as four-quark or molecular states. In this work, we are following the later and propose a unitive description for all the three new members D_s(2632), D_s(2317) and D_s(2457) and at least, so far our picture is consistent with the data.Comment: 6 page

Four-Quark Mesons in Non-leptonic B Decays--Could They Resolve Some Old Puzzles?

We point out that non-leptonic B decays driven by b-->ccbar s should provide a favourable environment for the production of hidden charm diquark-antidiquark bound states that have been suggested to explain the resonances with masses around 4 GeV recently observed by BaBar and BELLE. Studying their relative abundances in non-leptonic B decays can teach us novel lessons about their structure and the strong interactions. Through their decay into psi they can provide a natural explanation of the excess of B-->psi X observed for p_psi < 1 GeV. Other phenomenological consequences are mentioned as well.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, revte

Hadronic Spectral Moments in Semileptonic B Decays With a Lepton Energy Cut

We compute the first two moments of the final hadronic invariant mass in inclusive semileptonic B decay, in the presence of a cut on the charged lepton energy. These moments may be measured directly by experiments at the Upsilon(4S) using the neutrino reconstruction technique, which requires such a cut. Measurement of these moments will place constraints on the nonperturbative parameters \bar\Lambda and \lambda_1, which are relevant for extracting the quark masses m_b and m_c, as well as the CKM angle V_cb. We include terms of order \alpha_s^2\beta_0 and 1/m_b^3 in the operator product expansion, and use the latter to estimate the theoretical uncertainty in the extraction of \bar\Lambda and \lambda_1.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, REVTe

Measurables of CPCP Violation in Bd→DCP0KSB_d\to D^0_{CP}K_S at a BB-meson Factory

In the context of the standard electroweak model, we emphasize that $B_d\rightarrow D^0_{CP}K_S$ ($D^0_{CP}$ denotes a $CP$ eigenstate of $D^0$ or $\bar{D}^0$) can compete with $B_d\rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-$ in studying $CP$ violation and probing the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle. We discuss the measurables of direct and indirect $CP$ asymmetries in $B^0_d$ vs $\bar{B}^0_d\rightarrow D^0_{CP}K_S$ under the circumstance of an asymmetric $B$-meson factory running on the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance, and show that both the weak and strong phases are experimentally determinable even in the presence of unknown final-state interactions.Comment: 6 Postscript pages, accepted for publication in IL Nuovo Cimento A as a "Note Brevi