Simply Modeling Meson HQET

A simple relativistic model of heavy-quark-light-quark mesons is proposed. In an expansion in inverse powers of the heavy quark mass we find that all zeroth and first order heavy quark symmetry relations are satisfied. The main results are: - the difference between the meson mass and the heavy quark mass plays a significant role even at zeroth order; - the slope of the Isgur-Wise function at the zero recoil point is typically less than $-1$; - the first order correction to the pseudoscalar decay constant is large and negative; - the four universal functions describing the first order corrections to the semileptonic decay form factors are small; - these latter corrections are quite insensitive to the choice of model parameters, and in particular to the effects of hyperfine mass splitting.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX, 3 LaTeX figures in separate file, UTPT-92-16. This is the version published long ago but not previously archive

Second Order Power Corrections in the Heavy Quark Effective Theory I. Formalism and Meson Form Factors

In the heavy quark effective theory, hadronic matrix elements of currents between two hadrons containing a heavy quark are expanded in inverse powers of the heavy quark masses, with coefficients that are functions of the kinematic variable $v\cdot v'$. For the ground state pseudoscalar and vector mesons, this expansion is constructed at order $1/m_Q^2$. A minimal set of universal form factors is defined in terms of matrix elements of higher dimension operators in the effective theory. The zero recoil normalization conditions following from vector current conservation are derived. Several phenomenological applications of the general results are discussed in detail. It is argued that at zero recoil the semileptonic decay rates for $B\to D\,\ell\,\nu$ and $B\to D^*\ell\,\nu$ receive only small second order corrections, which are unlikely to exceed the level of a few percent. This supports the usefulness of the heavy quark expansion for a reliable determination of $V_{cb}$.Comment: (34 pages, REVTEX, two postscript figures available upon request), SLAC-PUB-589

Two-loop corrections to the Isgur-Wise function in QCD sum rules

We complete the QCD sum rule analysis of the Isgur Wise form factor $\xi(v\cdot v')$ at next-to-leading order in renormalization-group improved perturbation theory. To this end, the exact result for the two-loop corrections to the perturbative contribution is derived using the heavy quark effective theory. Several techniques for the evaluation of two-loop integrals involving two different types of heavy quark propagators are discussed in detail, among them the methods of integration by parts and differential equations. The order-$\alpha_s$ corrections to the Isgur-Wise function turn out to be small and well under control. At large recoil, they tend to decrease the form factor by $5-10\%$.Comment: 24 pages (REVTEX), 2 figures available upon request, SLAC-PUB-599

Anomalous Thresholds and the Isgur-Wise Function

The original de Rafael-Taron bound on the slope of the Isgur-Wise function at zero recoil is known to be violated in QCD by singularities appearing in an unphysical region. To be consistent, quark models must have corresponding singularity structures. In an existing relativistic quark-loop model, the meson-quark-antiquark vertex is such that the required singularity is an anomalous threshold. We also discuss the implications of another anomalous threshold, whose location is determined by quark masses alone.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, 4 LaTeX figures in separate uufile, UTPT-94-0

The Subleading Isgur-Wise Form Factor χ3(v⋅v′)\chi_3(v\cdot v') to Order αs\alpha_s in QCD Sum Rules

We calculate the contributions arising at order $\alpha_s$ in the QCD sum rule for the spin-symmetry violating universal function $\chi_3(v\cdot v')$, which appears at order $1/m_Q$ in the heavy quark expansion of meson form factors. In particular, we derive the two-loop perturbative contribution to the sum rule. Over the kinematic range accessible in $B\to D^{(*)}\ell\,\nu$ decays, we find that $\chi_3(v\cdot v')$ does not exceed the level of $\sim 1\%$, indicating that power corrections induced by the chromo-magnetic operator in the heavy quark expansion are small.Comment: 12 pages ReVTeX, 3 figures available upon request, SLAC-PUB-6017, WIS-92/99/Dec-P

General relations of heavy quark-antiquark potentials induced by reparameterization invariance

A set of general relations between the spin-independent and spin-dependent potentials of heavy quark and anti-quark interactions are derived from reparameterization invariance in the Heavy Quark Effective Theory. It covers the Gromes relation and includes some new interesting relations which are useful in understanding the spin-independent and spin-dependent relativistic corrections to the leading order nonrelativistic potential.Comment: 11 pages, TUIMP-TH-93/54, CCAST-93-3

The Subleading Isgur-Wise Form Factor ξ3(v⋅v′)\xi_3(v\cdot v') and its Implications for the Decays Bˉ→D(∗)ℓ νˉ\bar B\to D^{(*)}\ell\,\bar\nu

We calculate, in the framework of QCD sum rules and to next-to-leading order in perturbation theory, the universal function $\xi_3(v\cdot v')$ which appears at order $1/m_Q$ in the heavy quark expansion of meson weak decay form factors. We find that radiative corrections of order $\alpha_s$ are very important. Over the kinematic range accessible in semileptonic decays, $\xi_3(v\cdot v')$ is proportional to the leading-order Isgur-Wise function $\xi(v\cdot v')$ to very good accuracy. Taking into account all sources of uncertainty, we estimate $\xi_3/\xi=(0.6\pm 0.2)$. This reduces the theoretical uncertainty in the extraction of $|\,V_{cb}|$ from $\bar B\to D\,\ell\, \bar\nu$ transitions. A measurement of the form factor ratio $A_2/A_1$ in $\bar B\to D^*\ell\,\bar\nu$ decays can be used to test our prediction.Comment: 14 pages (ReVTeX, 2 figures available), SLAC-PUB-6146, WIS-93/33/May-P

Observation of the Smectic C -- Smectic I Critical Point

We report the first observation of the smectic C--smectic I (C--I) critical point by Xray diffraction studies on a binary system. This is in confirmity with the theoretical idea of Nelson and Halperin that coupling to the molecular tilt should induce hexatic order even in the C phase and as such both C and I (a tilted hexatic phase) should have the same symmetry. The results provide evidence in support of the recent theory of Defontaines and Prost proposing a new universality class for critical points in layered systems.Comment: 9 pages Latex and 5 postscript figures available from [email protected] on request, Phys.Rev.Lett. (in press

Leptonic constant of pseudoscalar B_c meson

We calculate the leptonic constant for the ground pseudoscalar state of B_c meson in the framework of QCD-motivated potential model taking into account the two-loop anomalous dimension for the heavy quark current in the nonrelativistic QCD as matched with the full QCD.Comment: 6 pages, RevTeX4 file, 3 eps-figures, several references and remarks adde

High-resolution x-ray study of the nematic - smectic-A and smectic-A - smectic-C transitions in 8barS5-aerosil gels

The effects of dispersed aerosil nanoparticles on two of the phase transitions of the thermotropic liquid crystal material 4-n-pentylphenylthiol-4'-n-octyloxybenzoate 8barS5 have been studied using high-resolution x-ray diffraction techniques. The aerosils hydrogen bond together to form a gel which imposes a weak quenched disorder on the liquid crystal. The smectic-A fluctuations are well characterized by a two-component line shape representing thermal and random-field contributions. An elaboration on this line shape is required to describe the fluctuations in the smectic-C phase; specifically the effect of the tilt on the wave-vector dependence of the thermal fluctuations must be explicitly taken into account. Both the magnitude and the temperature dependence of the smectic-C tilt order parameter are observed to be unaffected by the disorder. This may be a consequence of the large bare smectic correlation length in the direction of modulation for this transition. These results show that the understanding developed for the nematic to smectic-A transition for octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) and octyloxycyanobiphenyl (8OCB) liquid crystals with quenched disorder can be extended to quite different materials and transitions.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure