Comments on the Quark Content of the Scalar Meson f0(1370)f_0(1370)

Based on the measurements of $(D_s^+,D^+)\to f_0(1370)\pi^+$ we determine, in a model independent way, the allowed $s\bar s$ content in the scalar meson $f_0(1370)$. We find that, on the one hand, if this isoscalar resonance is a pure $n\bar n$ state [ $n\bar n\equiv(u\bar u+d\bar d)/\sqrt{2} ]$, a very large $W$-annihilation term will be needed to accommodate $D_s^+\to f_0(1370)\pi^+$. On the other hand, the $s\bar s$ component of $f_0(1370)$ should be small enough to avoid excessive $D_s^+\to f_0(1370)\pi^+$ induced from the external $W$-emission. Measurement of $f_0(1370)$ production in the decay $D_s^+\to K^+K^-\pi^+$ will be useful to test the above picture. For the decay $D^0\to f_0(1370)\bar K^0$ which is kinematically barely or even not allowed, depending on the mass of $f_0(1370)$, we find that the finite width effect of $f_0(1370)$ plays a crucial role on the resonant three-body decay $D^0\to f_0(1370)\bar K^0\to\pi^+\pi^-\bar K^0$.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Hadronic Charmed Meson Decays Involving Tensor Mesons

Charmed meson decays into a pseudoscalar meson P and a tensor meson T are studied. The charm to tensor meson transition form factors are evaluated in the Isgur-Scora-Grinstein-Wise (ISGW) quark model. It is shown that the Cabibbo-allowed decay $D_s^+\to f_2(1270)\pi^+$ is dominated by the W-annihilation contribution and has the largest branching ratio in $D\to TP$ decays. We argue that the Cabibbo-suppressed mode $D^+\to f_2(1270)\pi^+$ should be suppressed by one order of magnitude relative to $D_s^+\to f_2(1270)\pi^+$. When the finite width effect of the tensor resonances is taken into account, the decay rate of $D\to TP$ is generally enhanced by a factor of $2\sim 3$. Except for $D_s^+\to f_2(1270)\pi^+$, the predicted branching ratios of $D\to TP$ decays are in general too small by one to two orders of magnitude compared to experiment. However, it is very unlikely that the $D\to T$ transition form factors can be enhanced by a factor of $3\sim 5$ within the ISGW quark model to account for the discrepancy between theory and experiment. As many of the current data are still preliminary and lack sufficient statistic significance, more accurate measurements are needed to pin down the issue.Comment: 11 page

Hadronic Charmed Meson Decays Involving Axial Vector Mesons

Cabibbo-allowed charmed meson decays into a pseudoscalar meson and an axial-vector meson are studied. The charm to axial-vector meson transition form factors are evaluated in the Isgur-Scora-Grinstein-Wise quark model. The dipole momentum dependence of the $D\to K$ transition form factor and the presence of a sizable long-distance $W$-exchange are the two key ingredients for understanding the data of $D\to \bar Ka_1$. The $K_{1A}-K_{1B}$ mixing angle of the strange axial-vector mesons is found to be $\approx \pm37^\circ$ or $\pm58^\circ$ from $\tau\to K_1\nu_\tau$ decays. The study of $D\to K_1(1270)\pi, K_1(1400)\pi$ decays excludes the positive mixing-angle solutions. It is pointed out that an observation of the decay $D^0\to K_1^-(1400)\pi^+$ at the level of $5\times 10^{-4}$ will rule out $\theta\approx -37^\circ$ and favor the solution $\theta\approx -58^\circ$. Though the decays $D^0\to \bar K_1^0\pi^0$ are color suppressed, they are comparable to and even larger than the color-allowed counterparts: $\bar K_1^0(1270)\pi^0\sim K_1^-(1270)\pi^+$ and $\bar K_1^0(1400)\pi^0> K_1^-(1400)\pi^+$. The finite width effect of the axial-vector resonance is examined. It becomes important for $a_1(1260)$ in particular when its width is near 600 MeV.Comment: 19 page

Charmless Two-body Baryonic B Decays

We study charmless two-body baryonic B decays in a diagramatic approach. Relations on decay amplitudes are obtained. In general there are more than one tree and more than one penguin amplitudes. The number of independent amplitudes can be reduced in the large m_B limit. It leads to more predictive results. Some prominent modes for experimental searches are pointed out.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Nonresonant Three-body Decays of D and B Mesons

Nonresonant three-body decays of D and B mesons are studied. It is pointed out that if heavy meson chiral perturbation theory (HMChPT) is applied to the heavy-light strong and weak vertices and assumed to be valid over the whole kinematic region, then the predicted decay rates for nonresonant charmless 3-body B decays will be too large and especially B^- --> pi^- K^+ K^- greatly exceeds the current experimental limit. This can be understood as chiral symmetry has been applied there twice beyond its region of validity. If HMChPT is applied only to the strong vertex and the weak transition is accounted for by the form factors, the dominant B^* pole contribution to the tree-dominated direct three-body B decays will become small and the branching ratio will be of order 10^{-6}. The decay modes B^- --> (K^- h^+ h^-)_{NR} and bar{B}^0 --> (bar{K}^0 h^+h^-)_{NR} for h = pi, K are penguin dominated. We apply HMChPT in two different cases to study the direct 3-body D decays and compare the results with experiment. Theoretical uncertainties are discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures. New experimental results of direct 3-body D decays as Reported at ICHEP2002 are included. To appear in Phys. Re

Nonleptonic Weak Decays of Bottom Baryons

Cabibbo-allowed two-body hadronic weak decays of bottom baryons are analyzed. Contrary to the charmed baryon sector, many channels of bottom baryon decays proceed only through the external or internal W-emission diagrams. Moreover, W-exchange is likely to be suppressed in the bottom baryon sector. Consequently, the factorization approach suffices to describe most of the Cabibbo-allowed bottom baryon decays. We use the nonrelativistic quark model to evaluate heavy-to-heavy and heavy-to-light baryon form factors at zero recoil. When applied to the heavy quark limit, the quark model results do satisfy all the constraints imposed by heavy quark symmetry. The decay rates and up-down asymmetries for bottom baryons decaying into $(1/2)^++P(V)$ and $(3/2)^++P(V)$ are calculated. It is found that the up-down asymmetry is negative except for $\Omega_b \to (1/2)^++P(V)$ decay and for decay modes with $\psi'$ in the final state. The prediction $B(\Lambda_b \to J/\psi\Lambda)=1.6 \times 10^{-4}$ for $|V_{cb}|=0.038$ is consistent with the recent CDF measurement. We also present estimates for $\Omega_c \to (3/2)^++P(V)$ decays and compare with various model calculations.Comment: 24 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev. Uncertainties with form factor q^2 dependence are discusse

Flavor symmetry analysis of charmless B --> VP decays

Based upon flavor SU(3) symmetry, we perform global fits to charmless B decays into one pseudoscalar meson and one vector meson in the final states. We consider different symmetry breaking schemes and find that the one implied by na{\"i}ve factorization is slightly favored over the exact symmetry case. The $(\bar\rho,\bar\eta)$ vertex of the unitarity triangle (UT) constrained by our fits is consistent with other methods within errors. We have found large color-suppressed, electroweak penguin and singlet penguin amplitudes when the spectator quark ends up in the final-state vector meson. Nontrivial relative strong phases are also required to explain the data. The best-fit parameters are used to compute branching ratio and CP asymmetry observables in all of the decay modes, particularly those in the $B_s$ decays to be measured at the Tevatron and LHC experiments.Comment: 23 pages and 2 plots; updated with ICHEP'08 data and expanded in discussions and reference

Characterization of an endogenous gene expressed in Aedes aegypti using an orally infectious recombinant Sindbis virus

Sindbis virus expression vectors have been used successfully to express and silence genes of interest in vivo in several mosquito species, including Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. triseriatus,Culex pipiens, Armigeres subalbatus and Anopheles gambiae. Here we describe the expression of an endogenous gene, defensin, in Ae. aegypti using the orally infectious Sindbis virus, MRE/3′2J expression vector. We optimized conditions to infect mosquito larvae per os using C6/36 Ae. albopictus cells infected with the recombinant virus to maximize virus infection and expression of defensin. Infection with the parental Sindbis virus (MRE/3′2J) did not induce defensin expression. Mosquito larvae infected by ingestion of recombinant Sindbis virus-infected C6/36 cells expressed defensin when they emerged as adults. Defensin expression was observed by western analysis or indirect fluorescent assay in all developmental stages of mosquitoes infected with MRE/3′2J virus that contained the defensin insert. The multiplicity of infection of C6/36 cells and the quantity of infected cells consumed by larvae played an important role in defensin expression. Parental viruses, missing the defensin insert, and/or other defective interfering virus may have contributed to these observations

Final-State Phases in Charmed Meson Two-Body Nonleptonic Decays

Observed decay rates indicate large phase differences among the amplitudes for the charge states in $D \to \bar K \pi$ and $D \to \bar K^* \pi$ but relatively real amplitudes in the charge states for $D \to \bar K \rho$. This feature is traced using an SU(3) flavor analysis to a sign flip in the contribution of one of the amplitudes contributing to the latter processes in comparison with its contribution to the other two sets. This amplitude may be regarded as an effect of rescattering and is found to be of magnitude comparable to others contributing to charmed particle two-body nonleptonic decays.Comment: 19 pages, latex, 4 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.

Final-State Phases in B→Dπ,D∗πB \to D \pi, D^* \pi, and DρD \rho Decays

The final-state phases in $\bar{B} \to D \pi, D^* \pi$, and $D \rho$ decays appear to follow a pattern similar to those in $D \to \bar{K} \pi$, $\bar{K}^* \pi$, and $\bar{K} \rho$ decays. Each set of processes is characterized by three charge states but only two independent amplitudes, so the amplitudes form triangles in the complex plane. For the first two sets the triangles appear to have non-zero area, while for the $D \rho$ or $\bar{K} \rho$ decays the areas of the triangles are consistent with zero. Following an earlier discussion of this behavior for $D$ decays, a similar analysis is performed for B decays, and the relative phases and magnitudes of contributing amplitudes are determined. The significance of recent results on \ob \to D^{(*)0} \bar{K}^{(*)0} is noted. Open theoretical and experimental questions are indicated.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. D. References added; comments on new experimental results and analysi