The semileptonic decay Lambda_b -> Lambda_c + tau(-) + antinu_tau in the covariant confined quark model

Recently there has been much interest in the tauonic semileptonic meson decays B -> D + tau + nu_tau and B -> D* + tau + nu_tau where one has found larger rates than what is predicted by the Standard Model. We analyze the corresponding semileptonic baryon decays Lambda_b(0) -> Lambda_c(+) + tau(-) + antinu_tau with particular emphasis on the lepton helicity flip and scalar contributions which vanish for zero lepton masses. We calculate the total rate, differential decay distributions, the longitudinal and transverse polarization of the daughter baryon Lambda_c(+) and the tau-lepton, and the lepton-side forward-backward asymmetries. The nonvanishing polarization of the daughter baryon Lambda_c(+) leads to hadron-side asymmetries in e.g. the decay Lambda_c(+) -> Lambda(0) + pi(+) and azimuthal correlations between the two final state decay planes which we specify. We provide numerical results on these observables using results of the covariant confined quark model. We find large lepton mass effects in the q2-spectra and in the polarization observables.Comment: 26 page

Four-quark structure of Zc(3900), Z(4430) and Xb(5568) states

We examine the four-quark structure of the recently discovered charged $Z_c(3900)$, $Z(4430)$, and $X_b(5568)$ states. We calculate the widths of the strong decays $Z_c^+ \to J/\psi \pi^+$ ($\eta_c\rho^+$, $\bar D^0D^{\ast\,+}$, $\bar D^{\ast\,0}D^+$), $Z(4430)^+ \to J/\psi \pi^+$ ($\psi(2s) \pi^+$), and $X^+_b\to B_s\pi^+$ within a covariant quark model previously developed by us. We find that the tetraquark-type current widely used in the literature for the $Z_c(3900)$ leads to a significant suppression of the $\bar D D^\ast$ and $\bar D^\ast D$ modes. Contrary to this a molecular-type current provides an enhancement by a factor of 6-7 for the $\bar D D^\ast$ modes compared with the $Z_c^+\to J/\psi\pi^+$, $\eta_c\rho^+$ modes in agreement with recent experimental data from the BESIII Collaboration. In case of the $Z(4430)$ state we test a sensitivity of the ratio $R_Z$ of the $Z(4430)^+ \to \psi(2s) \pi^+$ and $Z(4430)^+ \to J/\psi \pi^+$ decay rates to a choice of the size parameter $\Lambda_{Z(4430)}$ of the $Z(4430)$. Using upper constraint for the sum of these two modes deduced from the LHCb Collaboration data we find that $R_Z$ varies from 4.64 to 4.08 when $\Lambda_{Z(4430)}$ changes from 2.2 to 3.2 GeV. Also we make the prediction for the $Z(4430)^+ \to D^{\ast\,+} \bar D^{\ast\,0}$ decay rate.Comment: 14 page

Polarization effects in the cascade decay Lambda_b -> Lambda(-> p pi-) + J/psi(-> l+ l-) in the covariant confined quark model

We calculate the invariant and helicity amplitudes for the nonleptonic decay Lambda_b -> Lambda + J/psi, psi(2S) in the covariant confined quark model. We discuss joint angular decay distributions in the cascade decay Lambda_b -> Lambda(-> p pi-) + J/psi, psi(2S) (-> l+ l-) and calculate some of the asymmetry parameters that characterize the joint angular decay distribution. We confirm expectations from the naive quark model that the transitions into the lambda_Lambda=1/2 helicity states of the daughter baryon Lambda are strongly suppressed leading to a near maximal negative polarization of the Lambda. For the same reason the azimuthal correlation between the two decay planes spanned by (p pi-) and (l+ l-) is negligibly small. We provide form factor results for the whole accessible q2-range. Our results are close to lattice results at minimum recoil and light-cone sum rule results at maximum recoil. A new feature of our analysis is that we include lepton mass effects in the calculation which allows us to also describe the cascade decay Lambda_b -> Lambda(-> p pi-) + psi(2S)(-> tau+ tau-).Comment: 18 page

Importance of Tests for the Complete Lorentz Structure of the t --> W+ b vertex at Hadron Colliders

The most general Lorentz-invariant decay-density-matrix for $t\to W^{+}b\to (l^{+}\nu)b$, or for $t\to W^{+}b\to (j_{\bar d}j_u)b$, is expressed in terms of eight helicity parameters. The parameters are physically defined in terms of partial-width-intensities for polarized-final-states in $t\to W^{+}b$ decay. The parameters are the partial width, the $b$ quark's chirality parameter $\xi$, the $W^+$ polarimetry parameter $\sigma$, a "pre-SSB" test parameter $\zeta$, and four $W_{L}$-$W_{T}$ interference parameters $\eta$, $\eta^{'}$, $\omega$, $\omega^{'}$ which test for $\tilde T_{FS}$ violation. They can be used to test for non-CKM-type CP violation, anomalous $\Gamma_{L,T}$'s, top weak magnetism, weak electricity, and second-class currents. By stage-two spin-correlation techniques, percent level statistical uncertainites are typical for measurements at the Tevatron, and several mill level uncertainites are typical at the LHC.Comment: Minor clarifications. Expression for r_{+-} corrected. 19 pages LaTex + Tables + 1 Figur