Conodonts across the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary: a review and implication for the redefinition of the boundary and a proposal for an updated conodont zonation

This paper is a contribution to the redefinition of the base of Carboniferous system. At present the criterion for the definition of the Devonian\u2013Carboniferous boundary is the first occurrence of a conodont species. In order to evaluate the stratigraphic potential for new criteria for the definition of the Devonian\u2013Carboniferous boundary, the distribution of conodont species of Bispathodus, Branmehla, Palmatolepis, Polygnathus, Protognathodus, Pseudopolygnathus and Siphonodella across the boundary is presented and discussed. An updated biozonation scheme across the boundary based on the First Appearance of Bispathodus ac. aculeatus, Bispathodus costatus, Bispathodus ultimus, Protognathodus kockeli, Siphonodella bransoni and Siphonodella duplicata is proposed, and it is suggested that the new criterion for the definition of the base of the Carboniferous system be the First Appearance Datum of Pr. kockeli or Si. bransoni

Towards a consistent Oxfordian–Kimmeridgian global boundary: current state of knowledge

New data are presented in relation to the worldwide definition of the Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian boundary, i.e. the base of the Kimmeridgian Stage. This data, mostly acquired in the past decade, supports the 2006 proposal to make the uniform boundary of the stages in the Flodigarry section at Staffin Bay on the Isle of Skye, northern Scotland. This boundary is based on the Subboreal-Boreal ammonite successions, and it is distinguished by the Pictonia flodigarriensis horizon at the base of the Subboreal Baylei Zone, and which corresponds precisely to the base of the Boreal Bauhini Zone. The boundary lies in the 0.16 m interval (1.24–1.08 m) below bed 36 in sections F6 at Flodigarry and it is thus proposed as the GSSP for the Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian boundary. This boundary is recognized also by other stratigraphical data – palaeontological, geochemical and palaeomagnetic (including its well documented position close to the boundary between magnetozones F3n, and F3r which is placed in the 0.20 m interval – 1.28 m to 1.48 m below bed 36 – the latter corresponding to marine magnetic anomaly M26r).The boundary is clearly recognizable also in other sections of the Subboreal and Boreal areas discussed in the study, including southern England, Pomerania and the Peri-Baltic Syneclise, Russian Platform, Northern Central Siberia, Franz-Josef Land, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. It can be recognized also in the Submediterranean-Mediterranean areas of Europe and Asia where it correlates with the boundary between the Hypselum and the Bimmamatum ammonite zones. The changes in ammonite faunas at the boundary of these ammonite zones – mostly of ammonites of the families Aspidoceratidae and Oppeliidae – also enables the recognition of the boundary in the Tethyan and Indo-Pacific areas – such as the central part of the Americas (Cuba, Mexico), southern America, and southern parts of Asia. The climatic and environmental changes near to the Oxfordian/Kimmeridgian boundary discussed in the study relate mostly to the European areas. They show that very unstable environments at the end of the Oxfordian were subsequently replaced by more stable conditions representing a generally warming trend during the earliest Kimmeridgian. The definition of the boundary between the Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian as given in this study results in its wide correlation potential and means that it can be recognized in the different marine successions of the World

Evidence of time-dependent CP violation in the decay B0 to D*+D*-

We report a measurement of the CP-odd fraction and the time-dependent CP violation in B0 to D*+D*- decays, using 657.10^6 BBbar events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We measure a CP-odd fraction of Rperp=0.125+/-0.043(stat)+/-0.023(syst). From the distributions of the proper-time intervals between a B0to D*+D*- decay and the other B meson in the event, we obtain evidence of CP violation with measured parameters AD*+D*-=0.15+/-0.13(stat)+/-0.04(syst) and SD*+D*-=-0.96+/-0.25(stat)-0.16+0.13(syst).Comment: Published in PR

Time-dependent CP Asymmetries in B0→KS0ρ0γB^0\to K^0_S\rho^0\gamma Decays

We report the first measurement of CP-violation parameters in B^0 -> K_S^0\rho^0\gamma decays based on 657 million B\bar B pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy collider. We measure the time-dependent CP violating parameter S_{K_S^0\rho^0\gamma}= 0.11 +/- 0.33(stat.)^{+0.05}_{-0.09}(syst.). We also obtain the effective direct CP violating parameter A_eff=0.05 +/- 0.18(stat.) +/- 0.06(syst.) for m_{K_S\pi^+\pi^-}<1.8 GeV/c^2 and 0.6 GeV/c^2<m_{\pi^+\pi^-}<0.9 GeV/c^2.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be submitted to PR

Search for B→πℓ+ℓ−B \to \pi \ell^+\ell^- Decays at Belle

We present a search for the B-> pi e^+ e^- and B-> pi \mu^+ \mu^- decays, with a data sample of 657 million BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+e^-$ collider. Signal events are reconstructed from a charged or a neutral pion candidate and a pair of oppositely charged electrons or muons. No significant signal is observed and we set the upper limit on the isospin-averaged branching fraction BF(B -> \pi \ell^+\ell^-) < 6.2x10^-8 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted by PRD(RC

Dalitz analysis of B --> K pi psi' decays and the Z(4430)+

From a Dalitz plot analysis of B --> K pi psi' decays, we find a signal for Z(4430)+ --> pi+ psi' with a mass M= (4443(+15-12)(+19-13))MeV/c^2, width Gamma= (107(+86-43)(+74-56))MeV, product branching fraction BR(B0 --> K- Z(4430)+) x BR(Z(4430)+ --> pi+ psi')= (3.2(+1.8-0.9)(+5.3-1.6)) x 10^{-5}, and significance of 6.4sigma that agrees with previous Belle measurements based on the same data sample. In addition, we determine the branching fraction BR(B^0 --> K*(892)^0 psi')= (5.52(+0.35-0.32)(+0.53-0.58)) x 10^{-4} and the fraction of K*(892)^0 mesons that are longitudinally polarized f_L= 44.8(+4.0-2.7)(+4.0-5.3)%. These results are obtained from a 605fb^{-1} data sample that contains 657 million B-anti-B pairs collected near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e+e- collider.Comment: Final version published in PRD(RC

Measurements of Charmless Hadronic b->s Penguin Decays in the pi+pi-K+pi- Final State and First Observation of B0 -> rho0K+pi-

We report measurements of charmless hadronic B^0 decays into the pi+pi-K+pi+ final state. The analysis uses a sample of 657x10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at the Y(4S) resonance. The decay B^0 -> rho0 Kpi is observed for the first time; the significance is 5.0sigma and the corresponding partial branching fraction for M_Kpi in (0.75,1.20) GeV/c^2 is [2.8 +- 0.5(stat) +-0.5(syst)] x 10^{-6}. We also obtain the first evidence for B^0 -> f0Kpi with 3.5sigma significance and for B^0 -> pi+pi-K*0 with 4.5sigma significance. For the two-body decays B^0 -> rho0K*0 and B^0 -> f0K*0, the significances are 2.7sigma and 2.5sigma, respectively, and the upper limits on the branching fractions are 3.4x10^{-6} and 2.2x10^{-6} at 90% confidence level.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. accepted by PRD(RC

Observation of Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- using e+e- collisions and a determination of the Bs-Bsbar width difference \Delta\Gamma_s

We have made the first observation of Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- decays using 23.6 fb-1 of data recorded by the Belle experiment running on the Upsilon(5S) resonance. The branching fractions are measured to be B(B^0_s\ra D^+_s D^-_s) = (1.0\,^{+0.4}_{-0.3}\,^{+0.3}_{-0.2})%, B(B^0_s\ra D^{*\pm}_s D^{\mp}_s) = (2.8\,^{+0.8}_{-0.7}\,\pm 0.7)%, and B(B^0_s\ra D^{*+}_s D^{*-}_s) = (3.1\,^{+1.2}_{-1.0}\,\pm 0.8)%; the sum is B(B^0_s\ra D^{(*)+}_s D^{(*)-}_s) = (6.9\,^{+1.5}_{-1.3}\,\pm 1.9)%. Assuming Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- saturates decays to CP-even final states, the branching fraction determines the ratio \Delta\Gamma_s/cos(\phi), where \Delta\Gamma_s is the difference in widths between the two Bs-Bsbar mass eigenstates, and \phi is a CP-violating weak phase. Taking CP violation to be negligibly small, we obtain \Delta\Gamma_s/\Gamma_s = 0.147^{+0.036}_{-0.030}(stat.)^{+0.044}_{-0.042}(syst.), where \Gamma_s is the mean decay width.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables. v2: text added for clarification, version published in Phys. Rev. Letter

Observation of B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau and Evidence for B+ -> Dbar^0 tau+ nu_tau at Belle

We present measurements of B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau and B+ -> Dbar^0 tau+ nu_tau decays in a data sample of 657 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We find 446^{+58}_{-56} events of the decay B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau with a significance of 8.1 standard deviations, and 146^{+42}_{-41} events of the decay B+ -> Dbar0 tau+ nu_tau with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations. The latter signal provides the first evidence for this decay mode. The measured branching fractions are B(B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau)=(2.12^{+0.28}_{-0.27} (stat) +- 0.29 (syst)) % and B(B+ -> Dbar0 tau+ nu_tau)=(0.77 +- 0.22 (stat) +- 0.12 (syst)) %.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Observation of B0 to p pbar K*0 with a large K*0 polarization

We observe the decay B0 to p pbar K*0 with a branching fraction of (1.18^{+0.29}_{-0.25} (stat.) \pm 0.11 (syst.)) \times 10^{-6}. The statistical significance is 7.2 sigma for the signal in the low ppbar mass region. We study the decay dynamics of B0 to p pbar K*0 and compare it with B+ to p pbar K*+. The K*0 meson is found to be almost 100% polarized (with a fraction of (101 \pm 13 \pm 3)% in the helicity zero state), while the K*+ meson has a (32 \pm 17 \pm 9)% fraction in the helicity zero state. The direct CP asymmetries for B0 to p pbar K*0 and B+ to p pbar K*+ are measured to be -0.08\pm 0.20\pm 0.02 and -0.01\pm 0.19\pm 0.02, respectively. We also study the characteristics of the low mass ppbar enhancements near threshold and the associated angular distributions. In addition, we report improved measurements of the branching fractions BF(B+ to p pbar K*+) = (3.38^{+0.73}_{-0.60} \pm 0.39) \times 10^{-6} and BF(B0 to p pbar K0) = (2.51^{+0.35}_{-0.29} \pm 0.21) \times 10^{-6}, which supersede our previous measurements. These results are obtained from a 492 fb^{-1} data sample collected near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+ e^- collider.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures (8 figure files), submitted to Phys.Rev.Let