Exclusive rare B -> K*e+e- decays at low recoil: controlling the long-distance effects

We present a model-independent description of the exclusive rare decays B-> K* e+e- in the low recoil region (large lepton invariant mass q^2 ~ m_b^2). In this region the long-distance effects from quark loops can be computed with the help of an operator product expansion in 1/Q, with Q={m_b, \sqrt{q^2}}. Nonperturbative effects up to and including terms suppressed by Lambda/Q and mc^2/mb^2 relative to the short-distance amplitude can be included in a model-independent way. Based on these results, we propose an improved method for determining the CKM matrix element |V{ub}| from a combination of rare and semileptonic B and D decays near the zero recoil point. The residual theoretical uncertainty from long distance effects in this |V{ub}| determination comes from terms in the OPE of order alpha_s(Q)\Lambda/mb, alpha_s^2(Q), mc^4/mb^4$ and duality violations and is estimated to be below 10%.Comment: 21 pages RevTex, 2 figures; v3: extensive numerical changes in the NLL analysis, with improved stability under scale dependence. Typos fixed, version to appear in Phys.Rev.

Heavy Meson Physics: What have we learned in Twenty Years?

I give a personal account of the development of the field of heavy quarks. After reviewing the experimental discovery of charm and bottom quarks, I describe how the field's focus shifted towards determination of CKM elements and how this has matured into a precision science.Comment: This talk was presented during the ceremony awarding the Medalla 2003 of the Division of Particles and Fields of The Mexican Phsyical Society, at the IX Mexican Workshop on Particles and Fields; submitted for proceedings; 9 pages, 9 figures; replacement: fix multiple typo

Light scalar at LHC: the Higgs or the dilaton?

It is likely that the LHC will observe a color- and charge-neutral scalar whose decays are consistent with those of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson. The Higgs interpretation of such a discovery is not the only possibility. For example, electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) could be triggered by a spontaneously broken, nearly conformal sector. The spectrum of states at the electroweak scale would then contain a narrow scalar resonance, the pseudo-Goldstone boson of conformal symmetry breaking, with Higgs-like properties. If the conformal sector is strongly coupled, this pseudo-dilaton may be the only new state accessible at high energy colliders. We discuss the prospects for distinguishing this mode from a minimal Higgs boson at the LHC and ILC. The main discriminants between the two scenarios are (1) cubic self-interactions and (2) a potential enhancement of couplings to massless SM gauge bosons. A particularly interesting situation arises when the scale f of conformal symmetry breaking is approximately the electroweak scale v~246 GeV. Although in this case the LHC may not be able to tell apart a pseudo-dilaton from the Higgs boson, the self-interactions differ in a way that depends only on the scaling dimension of certain operators in the conformal sector. This opens the possibility of using dilaton pair production at future colliders as a probe of EWSB induced by nearly conformal new physics.Comment: 7 pages, LaTe

A Precision Model Independent Determination of |Vub| from B -> pi e nu

A precision method for determining |Vub| using the full range in q^2 of B-> pi \ell nu data is presented. At large q^2 the form factor is taken from unquenched lattice QCD, at q^2=0 we impose a model independent constraint obtained from B-> pi pi using the soft-collinear effective theory, and the shape is constrained using QCD dispersion relations. We find |Vub| =(3.54\pm 0.17\pm 0.44) x 10^{-3}. With 5% experimental error and 12% theory error, this is competitive with inclusive methods. Theory error is dominated by the input points, with negligible uncertainty from the dispersion relations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Composition-tuned smeared phase transitions

Phase transitions in random systems are smeared if individual spatial regions can order independently of the bulk system. In this paper, we study such smeared phase transitions (both classical and quantum) in substitutional alloys A$_{1-x}$B$_x$ that can be tuned from an ordered phase at composition $x=0$ to a disordered phase at $x=1$. We show that the ordered phase develops a pronounced tail that extends over all compositions $x<1$. Using optimal fluctuation theory, we derive the composition dependence of the order parameter and other quantities in the tail of the smeared phase transition. We also compare our results to computer simulations of a toy model, and we discuss experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 4 eps figures included, final version as publishe

Neutrino Masses in the Lee-Wick Standard Model

Recently, an extension of the standard model based on ideas of Lee and Wick has been discussed. This theory is free of quadratic divergences and hence has a Higgs mass that is stable against radiative corrections. Here, we address the question of whether or not it is possible to couple very heavy particles, with masses much greater than the weak scale, to the Lee-Wick standard model degrees of freedom and still preserve the stability of the weak scale. We show that in the LW-standard model the familiar see-saw mechanism for generating neutrino masses preserves the solution to the hierarchy puzzle provided by the higher derivative terms. The very heavy right handed neutrinos do not destabilize the Higgs mass. We give an example of new heavy degrees of freedom that would destabilize the hierarchy, and discuss a general mechanism for coupling other heavy degrees of freedom to the Higgs doublet while preserving the hierarchy.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Analytical Heavy Quark Expansion in the 't Hooft Model

We present a number of exact relations for the heavy quark limit and develop an analytical 1/m_Q expansion for heavy mesons in the 't Hooft model. Among the new results are relation 3\mu_\pi^2=\bar\Lambda^2 - m_{sp}^2+\beta^2, 1/m_Q corrections to the decay constants, to the kinetic expectation values and 1/m_Q^2 nonperturbative corrections to the B->D amplitude at zero recoil. The properties of the IW functions are addressed and the small velocity sum rules are verified.Comment: 22 pages, plain LaTeX (no figures

EWPD Constraints on Flavor Symmetric Vector Fields

Electroweak precision data constraints on flavor symmetric vector fields are determined. The flavor multiplets of spin one that we examine are the complete set of fields that couple to quark bi-linears at tree level while not initially breaking the quark global flavor symmetry group. Flavor safe vector masses proximate to, and in some cases below, the electroweak symmetry breaking scale are found to be allowed. Many of these fields provide a flavor safe mechanism to explain the t tbar forward backward anomaly, and can simultaneously significantly raise the allowed values of the Standard Model Higgs mass consistent with electroweak precision data.Comment: Matches version published in JHE