Review of Heavy Quark Physics - theory

Recent progress in the theory of B-meson decays is reviewed with emphasis on the aspects related to the B-factory data.Comment: 15 pages; Invited Plenary Talk at the 32nd International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP'04), Beijing, China, Aug. 16-22, 200

Radiative Neutron Capture on Carbon-14 in Effective Field Theory

The cross section for radiative capture of neutron on carbon-14 is calculated using the model-independent formalism of halo effective field theory. The dominant contribution from E1 transition is considered, and the cross section is expressed in terms of elastic scattering parameters of the effective range expansion. Contributions from both resonant and non-resonant interaction are calculated. Significant interference between these leads to a capture contribution that deviates from simple Breit-Wigner resonance form.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Angular Distribution and Polarization of Photons in the Inclusive Decay Λb→Xs γ\Lambda_b\to X_s\,\gamma

We study the angular distribution of photons produced in the inclusive decay of a polarized $\Lambda_b$, $\Lambda_b\to X_s\,\gamma$, using the technique of Heavy Quark Effective Theory. Finite non-perturbative corrections are obtained relative to the free quark decay $b\to s\gamma$. These corrections affect significantly the intensity and polarization of photons emitted at small angles relative to the $\Lambda_b$ spin direction.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX, uses epsf, 2 figures appended as uuencoded, compressed eps tar-file

Renormalons in Effective Field Theories

We investigate the high-order behavior of perturbative matching conditions in effective field theories. These series are typically badly divergent, and are not Borel summable due to infrared and ultraviolet renormalons which introduce ambiguities in defining the sum of the series. We argue that, when treated consistently, there is no physical significance to these ambiguities. Although nonperturbative matrix elements and matching conditions are in general ambiguous, the ambiguity in any physical observable is always higher order in $1/M$ than the theory has been defined. We discuss the implications for the recently noticed infrared renormalon in the pole mass of a heavy quark. We show that a ratio of form factors in exclusive $\Lambda_b$ decays (which is related to the pole mass) is free from renormalon ambiguities regardless of the mass used as the expansion parameter of HQET. The renormalon ambiguities also cancel in inclusive heavy hadron decays. Finally, we demonstrate the cancellation of renormalons in a four-Fermi effective theory obtained by integrating out a heavy colored scalar.Comment: Minor changes mad

Radiative D∗D^* Decay Using Heavy Quark and Chiral Symmetry

The implications of chiral $SU(3)_L \times SU(3)_R$ symmetry and heavy quark symmetry for the radiative decays $D^{*0}\to D^0\gamma$, $D^{*+}\to D^+\gamma$, and $D_s^*\to D_s\gamma$ are discussed. Particular attention is paid to $SU(3)$ violating contributions of order $m_q^{1/2}$. Experimental data on these radiative decays provide constraints on the $D^* D\pi$ coupling.Comment: 9 pages plus 3 pages of figures in POSTSCRIPT file appended to TeX file (uses harvmac.tex and tables.tex), UCSD/PTH 92-31, CALT-68-1816, EFI-92-45, CERN-TH.6650/9

The 1/N Expansion in Noncommutative Quantum Mechanics

We study the 1/N expansion in noncommutative quantum mechanics for the anharmonic and Coulombian potentials. The expansion for the anharmonic oscillator presented good convergence properties, but for the Coulombian potential, we found a divergent large N expansion when using the usual noncommutative generalization of the potential. We proposed a modified version of the noncommutative Coulombian potential which provides a well-behaved 1/N expansion.Comment: v2: resided version, to appear in PRD, 18 pages, 4 figure

Resolving the Large-N Nuclear Potential Puzzle

The large $N_c$ nuclear potential puzzle arose because three- and higher-meson exchange contributions to the nucleon-nucleon potential did not automatically yield cancellations that make these contributions consistent with the general large $N_c$ scaling rules for the potential. Here it is proposed that the resolution to this puzzle is that the scaling rules only apply for energy-independent potentials while all of the cases with apparent inconsistencies were for energy-dependent potentials. It is shown explicitly how energy-dependent potentials can have radically different large N behavior than an equivalent energy-independent one. One class of three-meson graphs is computed in which the contribution to the energy-independent potential is consistent with the general large N rules even though the energy-dependent potential is not.Comment: Corrections to the toy mode

Strong Decays of Excited Heavy Mesons In Chiral Perturbation Theory

We construct an effective Lagrangian describing the interaction of soft pions and kaons with mesons containing a heavy quark and light degrees of freedom in an orbital $p$ wave. The formalism is easily extended to heavy mesons and baryons in arbitrary excited states. We calculate the leading contributions to the strong decays \dtwo\to\d\pi, \dtwo\to\dstar\pi and \done\to\dstar\pi. We confirm the relations between the rates previously obtained by Isgur and Wise using heavy quark symmetry, and find that the absolute widths are consistent with na\"\i ve power counting. We also estimate the branching ratios for the two pion decays \dtwo\to\dstar\pi\pi, \done\to\dstar\pi\pi and \done\to\d\pi\pi, which are dominated by pole graphs. Our predictions depend on the masses and widths of the as yet unseen scalar-pseudovector $p$-wave doublet. Heavy quark spin symmetry predicts \Gamma(\dtwo\to\dstar\pi\pi): \Gamma(\done\to\dstar\pi\pi):\Gamma(\done\to\d\pi\pi)=3:1:2, but this relation is badly violated in practice because $1/M$ effects arising purely from kinematics are large.Comment: (14 pages, 2 figures available from the authors, harvmac.tex required), SLAC-PUB-5812, UCSD/PTH 92-1

\Lambda_b \to \Lambda_c P(V) Nonleptonic Weak Decays

The two-body nonleptonic weak decays of \Lambda_b \to \Lambda_c P(V) (P and V represent pseudoscalar and vector mesons respectively) are analyzed in two models, one is the Bethe-Salpeter (B-S) model and the other is the hadronic wave function model. The calculations are carried out in the factorization approach. The obtained results are compared with other model calculations.Comment: 18 pages, Late

New meson spectroscopy with open charm and beauty

All the available experimental information on open charm and beauty mesons is used to classify the observed states in heavy quark doublets. The masses of some of the still unobserved states are predicted, in particular in the beauty sector. Adopting an effective Lagrangian approach based on the heavy quark and chiral symmetry, individual decay rates and ratios of branching fractions are computed, with results useful to assign the quantum numbers to recently observed charmed states which still need to be properly classified. Implications and predictions for the corresponding beauty mesons are provided. The experimental results are already copious, and are expected to grow up thanks to the experiments at the LHC and to the future high-luminosity flavour and $p-\bar p$ facilities.Comment: RevTex, 15 pages, 1 figure. Corrected Equations (8) and (9