Determination of MbM_b and αs\alpha_s from the Upsilon System

The mass of the bottom quark (both the pole mass $M_b$ and the \MSb mass $m_b$) and the strong coupling constant $\alpha_s$ have been determined from QCD moment sum rules for the $\Upsilon$ system. In the pole-mass scheme large perturbative corrections resulting from coulombic contributions have been resummed. The results of this analysis are: M_b=4.60 \pm 0.02 \gev, m_b(m_b)=4.13 \pm 0.06 \gev and $\alpha_s(M_Z)=0.119 \pm 0.008$.Comment: 5 pages, 1 Postscript figure Invited talk at the High Energy Conference on Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD'97), Montpellier, July 199

Spectral distribution for the decay tau -> nu_tau K pi

With the newly available data sets on hadronic tau decays from the B-factories BABAR and BELLE, and future data from BESIII, precise information on the decay distributions will soon become available. This calls for an improvement of the decay spectra also on the theoretical side. In this work, the distribution function for the decay tau -> nu_tau K pi will be presented with the relevant K pi vector and scalar form factors being calculated in the framework of the resonance chiral theory, also taking into account additional constraints from dispersion relations and short-distances. As a by-product the slope and curvature of the vector form factor F_+^{K pi}(s) are determined to be lambda_+^' = 25.6 10^{-3} and lambda_+^{''} = 1.31 10^{-3} respectively. From our approach it appears that it should be possible to obtain information on the low lying scalar K_0^*(800) as well as the second vector K^*(1410) resonances from the tau decay data. In particular, the exclusive branching fraction of the scalar component is found to be B[tau -> nu_tau(K pi)_{S-wave}] = (3.88 +- 0.19) 10^{-4}.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Final State Interactions in Hadronic D decays

We show that the large corrections due to final state interactions (FSI) in the D^+\to \pi^-\pi^+\pi^+, D^+_s\to \pi^-\pi^+\pi^+, and D^+\to K^-\pi^+\pi^+ decays can be accounted for by invoking scattering amplitudes in agreement with those derived from phase shifts studies. In this way, broad/overlapping resonances in S-waves are properly treated and the phase motions of the transition amplitudes are driven by the corresponding scattering matrix elements determined in many other experiments. This is an important step forward in resolving the puzzle of the FSI in these decays. We also discuss why the \sigma and \kappa resonances, hardly visible in scattering experiments, are much more prominent and clearly visible in these decays without destroying the agreement with the experimental \pi\pi and K\pi low energy S-wave phase shifts.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables. Minor changes. We extend the discusion when quoting a reference and we include a new one. Some typos are fixe

Determination of |V_us| from hadronic tau decays

The recent update of the strange spectral function and the moments of the invariant mass distribution by the OPAL collaboration from hadronic tau decay data are employed to determine |V_us| as well as m_s. Our result, |V_us|=0.2208\pm0.0034, is competitive to the standard extraction of |V_us| from K_e3 decays and to the new proposals to determine it. Furthermore, the error associated to our determination of |V_us| can be reduced in the future since it is dominated by the experimental uncertainty that will be eventually much improved by the B-factories hadronic tau data. Another improvement that can be performed is the simultaneous fit of both |V_us| and m_s to a set of moments of the hadronic tau decays invariant mass distribution, which will provide even a more accurate determination of both parameters.Comment: 6 pages. Invited talk given by E.G. at the XXXXth Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Italy, 5-12 Mar 200

Tradisi Salai Jin Sebagai Modal Sosial Masyarakat Tidore Kepulauan

The Tidore people are people who still adhere to the traditions passed down by their ancestors. One of the traditions in question is the Salai Jin ritual. Viewed from the aspect of social relations, this tradition characterizes social interaction between people. The Salai Jin ritual is basically a ritual which, according to local people's beliefs, allows communication between humans and supernatural beings with various purposes. Among the purposes of this ritual is to establish cooperation to ensure safety and health. The researcher is interested in examining (1) the values of the Salai Jin ritual as one of the social assets of the Tidore archipelago community, and (2) the meaning and internalization of the values of the Salai Jin ritual in the social life of the Tidore archipelago community. Designed as a descriptive qualitative research, data were collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. Meanwhile, triangulation is used to validate research data. After the data has been analyzed using data reduction techniques, data presentation, and drawing conclusions, this study captures several social phenomena related to the Salai Jin ritual in the Tidore Islands community, including, (1) the Salai Jin ritual contains values of togetherness, bari (mutual cooperation), empathy, and social care, and (2) the meaning of these values is to build good communication and cooperation based on the values and norms prevailing in society. The actualization of the Salai Jin ritual as social capital can be found in various mutual cooperation activities such as building houses, wedding celebrations, dina (the tradition of commemorating those who have died), and other community social activities

Upsilon Dissociation in Quark-Gluon Plasma

I consider the dissociation of the upsilon meson due to absorption of a thermal gluon. I discuss the dissociation rate in terms of the energy density, the number density, and the temperature of the quark-gluon plasma. I compare this to the effect due to screening.Comment: 5 pages, added calculations on screening; added figur

Virtual O(\a_s) corrections to the inclusive decay b→sγb \to s \gamma

We present in detail the calculation of the O(\a_s) virtual corrections to the matrix element for b \to s \g. Besides the one-loop virtual corrections of the electromagnetic and color dipole operators $O_7$ and $O_8$, we include the important two-loop contribution of the four-Fermi operator $O_2$. By applying the Mellin-Barnes representation to certain internal propagators, the result of the two-loop diagrams is obtained analytically as an expansion in $m_c/m_b$. These results are then combined with existing O(\a_s) Bremsstrahlung corrections in order to obtain the inclusive rate for B \to X_s \g. The new contributions drastically reduce the large renormalization scale dependence of the leading logarithmic result. Thus a very precise Standard Model prediction for this inclusive process will become possible once also the corrections to the Wilson coefficients are available.Comment: 29 pages, uses epsfig.sty, 12 postscript figures include

Flavour SU(3) Symmetry in Charmless B Decays

QCD sum rules are used to estimate the flavour SU(3)-symmetry violation in two-body B decays to pions and kaons. In the factorizable amplitudes the SU(3)-violation manifests itself in the ratio of the decay constants f_K/f_pi and in the differences between the B->K, B_s->K and B->pi form factors. These effects are calculated from the QCD two-point and light-cone sum rules, respectively, in terms of the strange quark mass and the ratio of the strange and nonstrange quark-condensate densities. Importantly, QCD sum rules predict that SU(3) breaking in the heavy-to-light form factors can be substantial and does not vanish in the heavy-quark mass limit. Furthermore, we investigate the strange-quark mass dependence of nonfactorizable effects in the B->K pi decay amplitudes. Taking into account these effects we estimate the accuracy of several SU(3)-symmetry relations between charmless B-decay amplitudes.Comment: Two references added, version to be published in Phys.Rev.D, 21 pages, 12 postscript figure

Tau Physics: Theory Overview

The present status of some selected topics on tau physics is presented: charged-current universality tests, bounds on lepton-flavour violation, the determination of alpha_s from the inclusive tau hadronic width, the measurement of |V_{us}| through the Cabibbo-suppressed decays of the tau, and the theoretical description of the "tau -> nu_tau K pi" spectrum.Comment: Invited talk at the 2008 International Workshop on e+e- collisions from Phi to Psi (PhiPsi08, Frascati, Italy, 7-10 April 2008