Form factors of exclusive b→ub\to u transitions

We present the form factors of the $B\to\pi,\rho$ transitions induced by the $b\to u$ quark currents at all kinematically accessible $q^2$. Our analysis is based on the spectral representations of the form factors within the constituent quark picture: we fix the soft meson wave functions and the constituent quark masses by fitting $A_1(q^2)$ and $T_2(q^2)$ to the lattice results at small recoils ($17\lesssim q^2\lesssim 20 GeV^2$). We then calculate the $B\to\pi,\rho$ transition form factors down to $q^2=0$. For the $B\to\pi$ case the region $q^2\lesssim 20 GeV^2$ however does not cover the whole kinematically accessible range. Due to the smallness of the pion mass the region of small recoils is close to the nearby $B^*(5234)$ resonance. We develop a parametrization which includes the $B^*$ dominance of the form factors $f_+$ and $f_-$ at small recoils and numerically reproduces the results of calculations at $q^2\lesssim 20 GeV^2$. We find $\Gamma(B\to\pi\ell\nu)=8.0^{+0.8}_{-0.2} |V_{ub}|^2$ps$^{-1}$ and $\Gamma(B\to\rho\ell\nu)=15.8\pm 2.3 |V_{ub}|^2$ps$^{-1}$.Comment: revtex, 6 pages, 1 figur

Quark-binding effects in inclusive decays of heavy mesons

We present a new approach to the analysis of quark-binding effects in inclusive decays of heavy mesons within the relativistic dispersion quark model. Various differential distributions, such as electron energy spectrum, $q^2$- and $M_X$-distributions, are calculated in terms of the $B$ meson soft wave function which also determines long-distance effects in exclusive transition form factors. Using the quark-model parameters and the $B$ meson wave function previously determined from the description of the exclusive $b \to u$ transitions within the same dispersion approach, we provide numerical results on various distributions in the inclusive $B \to X_c l\nu$ decays.Comment: revtex, 18 pages, preprint HD-THEP-99-50 (Heidelberg) and RM3-TH/99-13 (Roma

Can one control systematic errors of QCD sum rule predictions for bound states?

We study the possibility to control systematic errors of the ground-state parameters obtained by Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov (SVZ) sum rules, making use of the harmonic-oscillator potential model as an example. In this case, one knows the exact solution for the polarization operator, which allows one to obtain both the OPE to any order and the parameters (masses and decay constants) of the bound states. We determine the parameters of the ground state making use of the standard procedures of the method of QCD sum rules, and compare the obtained results with the known exact values. We show that in the situation when the continuum contribution to the polarization operator is not known and is modelled by an effective continuum, the method of sum rules does not allow to control the systematic errors of the extracted ground-state parameters.Comment: RevTex, 7 pages, figure 4 modified, version to be published in Phys. Lett.

A narrow "peanut" pentaquark

We analyse the decay $\Theta_s(1/2^+)\to NK$ in a non-relativistic Fock space description using three and five constituent quarks for the nucleon and the pentaquark, respectively. Following Jaffe and Wilczek \cite{jw}, we assume that quark-quark correlations in spin-zero state play an important role for the pentaquark internal structure. Within this scenario, a strong dynamical suppression of the decay width is shown to be possible only if the pentaquark has an asymmetric "peanut" structure with the strange antiquark in the center and the two extended composite diquarks rotating around. In this case a decay width of $\simeq$ 1 MeV may be a natural possibility.Comment: Talk given at the Conference "Quark Confinement and Hadron Spectrum VI", Villasimius (Cagliari) Sardinia, Italy, 21 - 25 September 200

Dispersion approach to quark-binding effects in weak decays of heavy mesons

Dispersion approach based on the constituent quark picture and its applications to weak decays of heavy mesons are reviewed. Meson interaction amplitudes are represented within this approach as relativistic spectral integrals over the mass variables in terms of the meson wave functions and spectral densities of the corresponding Feynman diagrams. Various applications of this approach are discussed: Relativistic spectral representations for meson elastic and transition form factors at spacelike momentum transfers are constructed. Form factors at $q^2>0$ are obtained by the analytical continuation. As a result of this procedure, form factors are given in the full $q^2$ range of the weak decay in terms of the wave functions of the participating mesons. The 1/m_Q expansion of the obtained spectral representations for the form factors for the particular limits of the heavy-to-heavy and heavy-to-light transitions are analysed. Their full consistency with the constraints provided by long-distance QCD for these limits is demonstrated. Predictions for form factors for B, B(s), D, and D(s) decays to light mesons are given. The B\to\gamma l\nu decay and the weak annihilation in rare radiative decays are considered. Nonfactorizable corrections to the B^0-\bar B^0 mixing are calculated. Inclusive weak B-decays are analysed and the differential distributions are obtained in terms of the B-meson wave function.Comment: revtex, 119 pages. Summary of changes made: In Sect. V comparison with the recent experimental data is added, in Sect. VI discussion of contact terms in B->V\gamma is extended and comments on the recent publications are given, in Sect. VII signs of the decay constants are brought in agreement with other Sections, typoes correcte