Averages of b-hadron Properties at the End of 2005

This article reports world averages for measurements on b-hadron properties obtained by the Heavy Flavor Averaging Group (HFAG) using the available results as of at the end of 2005. In the averaging, the input parameters used in the various analyses are adjusted (rescaled) to common values, and all known correlations are taken into account. The averages include lifetimes, neutral meson mixing parameters, parameters of semileptonic decays, branching fractions of B meson decays to final states with open charm, charmonium and no charm, and measurements related to CP asymmetries

Inclusive Measure of |V_ub| with the Analytic Coupling Model

By analyzing B -> X_u l nu_l spectra with a model based on soft-gluon resummation and an analytic time-like QCD coupling, we obtain |V_ub| = (3.76 +-0.13 +- 0.22)*10^(-3), where the first and the second error refers to experimental and theoretical errors, respectively. The V_ub value is obtained from the available measured semileptonic branching fractions in limited regions of the phase-space. The distributions in the lepton energy E_l, the hadron invariant mass m_X, the light-cone momentum P_+ = E_X - p_X, together with the double distributions in (m_X,q^2) and (E_l,s_h^max), are used to select the phase-space regions. The q^2 is the dilepton squared momentum and s_h^max is the maximal m_X^2 at fixed q^2 and E_l. The V_ub value obtained is in complete agreement with the value coming from exclusive B decays and from an over-all fit to the Standard Model parameters. We show that the slight disagreement (up to +2 sigma) with respect to previous inclusive measurements is not related to different choices for the b (and c) masses but to a different modelling of the threshold (Sudakov) region.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, revised version accepted in Eur.Phys.J.

Evidence of the Purely Leptonic Decay B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar

We present the first evidence of the decay B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar using 414 fb^-1 of data collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. Events are tagged by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons in hadronic modes. We detect the signal with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations including systematics, and measure the branching fraction to be Br(B- --> tau- nu_tau-bar) = (1.79 +0.56-0.49(stat) +0.46-0.51(syst))*10^-4. This implies that f_B = 0.229 +0.036-0.031(stat) +0.034-0.037(syst) GeV and is the first direct measurement of this quantity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter

Search for Resonant B±→K±h→K±γγB^{\pm}\to K^{\pm} h \to K^{\pm} \gamma \gamma Decays at Belle

We report measurements and searches for resonant $B^{\pm} \to K^{\pm} h \to K^{\pm} \gamma \gamma$ decays where $h$ is a $\eta,\eta^{\prime},\eta_{c},\eta_{c}(2S),\chi_{c0},\chi_{c2},J/\psi$ meson or the X(3872) particle.Comment: accepted by Physics Letters

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

Measurements of exclusive B_s^0 decays at the Y(5S) resonance

Several exclusive $B_s^0$ decays are studied using a 1.86 fb-1 data sample collected at the Y(5S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e^+ e^- collider. In the $B_s^0 \to D_s^- \pi^+$ decay mode we find 10 $B_s^0$ candidates and measure the corresponding branching fraction. Combining the B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)-} \pi^+, B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)-} \rho^+, B_s^0 -> J/\psi \phi and B_s^0 -> J/\psi \eta decay modes, a significant $B_s^0$ signal is observed. The ratio \sigma (e^+ e^- -> B_s^* \bar{B}_s^*) / \sigma (e^+ e^- -> B_s^{(*)} \bar{B}_s^{(*)}) = (93^{+7}_{-9} \pm 1)% is obtained at the Y(5S) energy, indicating that $B_s^0$ meson production proceeds predominantly through the creation of $B^*_s \bar{B}^*_s$ pairs. The $B_s^0$ and $B_s^*$ meson masses are measured to be M(B_s^0)=(5370 \pm 1 \pm 3)MeV/c^2 and M(B_s^*)=(5418 \pm 1 \pm 3)MeV/c^2. Upper limits on the B_s^0 -> \gamma \gamma, B_s^0 -> \phi \gamma, B_s^0 -> K^+ K^- and B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)+} D_s^{(*)-} branching fractions are also reported.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, published in Phys. Rev. D76, 012002 (2007

Moments of the Hadronic Invariant Mass Spectrum in B --> X_c l nu Decays at Belle

We present a measurement of the hadronic invariant mass squared (M^2_X) spectrum in charmed semileptonic B meson decays B --> X_c l nu based on 140 fb^-1 of Belle data collected near the Y(4S) resonance. We determine the first, the second central and the second non-central moments of this spectrum for lepton energy thresholds ranging between 0.7 and 1.9 GeV. Full correlations between these measurements are evaluated.Comment: published version of the paper (one figure added, minor changes in the text); 16 pages, 3 figures, 10 table

Improved measurement of CP-violating parameters in rho+rho- decays

We present a measurement of the CP-violating asymmetry in rho+rho- decays using 535 million BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- collider. We measure CP-violating coefficients A = 0.16 +- 0.21(stat) +- 0.07 (syst) and S = 0.19 +- 0.30(stat) +- 0.07 (syst}. These values are used to determine the unitarity triangle angle phi_2 using an isospin analysis; the solution consistent with Standard Model lies in the range 53 < phi_2 < 114 deg. at 90 C.L.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, presented at JPS/DPF 2006 (Added KEK, BELLE preprint numbers, submitted to PRD(RC)