Radiative Decays of the P-Wave Charmed Mesons

Minor (mainly numerical) corrections.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, MZ-TH/92-5

Is there evidence for dimension-two corrections in QCD two-point functions?

The ALEPH data on the (non-strange) vector and axial-vector spectral functions, extracted from tau-lepton decays, is used in order to search for evidence for a dimension-two contribution, $C_{2 V,A}$, to the Operator Product Expansion (other than $d=2$ quark mass terms). This is done by means of a dimension-two Finite Energy Sum Rule, which relates QCD to the experimental hadronic information. The average $C_{2} \equiv (C_{2V} + C_{2A})/2$ is remarkably stable against variations in the continuum threshold, but depends rather strongly on $\Lambda_{QCD}$. Given the current wide spread in the values of $\Lambda_{QCD}$, as extracted from different experiments, we would conservatively conclude from our analysis that $C_{2}$ is consistent with zero.Comment: A misprint in Eq. (14) has been corrected. No other changes. Paper to appear in Phys. Rev.

New high order relations between physical observables in perturbative QCD

We exploit the fact that within massless perturbative QCD the same Green's function determines the hadronic contribution to the $\tau$ decay width and the moments of the $e^+e^-$ cross section. This allows one to obtain relations between physical observables in the two processes up to an unprecedented high order of perturbative QCD. A precision measurement of the $\tau$ decay width allows one then to predict the first few moments of the spectral density in $e^+e^-$ annihilations integrated up to $s\sim m_\tau^2$ with high accuracy. The proposed tests are in reach of present experimental capabilities.Comment: 7 pages, Latex, no figure

Inclusive Semileptonic Decays in QCD Including Lepton Mass Effects

Starting from an Operator Product Expansion in the Heavy Quark Effective Theory up to order 1/m_b^2 we calculate the inclusive semileptonic decays of unpolarized bottom hadrons including lepton mass effects. We calculate the differential decay spectra d\Gamma/(dE_\tau ), and the total decay rate for B meson decays to final states containing a \tau lepton.Comment: 16 pages + 4 figs. appended in uuencoded form, LaTeX, MZ-TH/93-3

Corrections to Sirlin's Theorem in O(p6)O(p^6) Chiral Perturbation Theory

We present the results of the first two-loop calculation of a form factor in full $SU(3) \times SU(3)$ Chiral Perturbation Theory. We choose a specific linear combination of $\pi^+, K^+, K^0$ and $K\pi$ form factors (the one appearing in Sirlin's theorem) which does not get contributions from order $p^6$ operators with unknown constants. For the charge radii, the correction to the previous one-loop result turns out to be significant, but still there is no agreement with the present data due to large experimental uncertainties in the kaon charge radii.Comment: 6 pages, Latex, 2 LaTeX figure

On the asymptotic O(ααS){\cal O}(\alpha \alpha_S) behavior of the electroweak gauge bosons vacuum polarization functions for arbitrary quark masses

We derive the QCD corrections to the electroweak gauge bosons vacuum polarization functions at high and zero--momentum transfer in the case of arbitrary internal quark masses. We then discuss in this general case (i) the connection between the $O(\alpha \alpha_S)$ calculations of the vector bosons self--energies using dimensional regularization and the one performed via a dispersive approach and (ii) the QCD corrections to the $\rho$ parameter for a heavy quark isodoublet.Comment: 14 pages + 2 figures (not included: available by mail from A. Djouadi), Preprint UdeM-LPN-TH-93-156 and NYU-TH-93/05/0

Chiral condensates from tau decay: a critical reappraisal

The saturation of QCD chiral sum rules is reanalyzed in view of the new and complete analysis of the ALEPH experimental data on the difference between vector and axial-vector correlators (V-A). Ordinary finite energy sum rules (FESR) exhibit poor saturation up to energies below the tau-lepton mass. A remarkable improvement is achieved by introducing pinched, as well as minimizing polynomial integral kernels. Both methods are used to determine the dimension d=6 and d=8 vacuum condensates in the Operator Product Expansion, with the results: {O}_{6}=-(0.00226 \pm 0.00055) GeV^6, and O_8=-(0.0053 \pm 0.0033) GeV^8 from pinched FESR, and compatible values from the minimizing polynomial FESR. Some higher dimensional condensates are also determined, although we argue against extending the analysis beyond dimension d = 8. The value of the finite remainder of the (V-A) correlator at zero momentum is also redetermined: \Pi (0)= -4 \bar{L}_{10}=0.02579 \pm 0.00023. The stability and precision of the predictions are significantly improved compared to earlier calculations using the old ALEPH data. Finally, the role and limits of applicability of the Operator Product Expansion in this channel are clarified.Comment: Replaced versio