Endpoint behavior of the pion distribution amplitude in QCD sum rules with nonlocal condensates

Starting from the QCD sum rules with nonlocal condensates for the pion distribution amplitude, we derive another sum rule for its derivative and its "integral" derivatives---defined in this work. We use this new sum rule to analyze the fine details of the pion distribution amplitude in the endpoint region $x\sim 0$. The results for endpoint-suppressed and flat-top (or flat-like) pion distribution amplitudes are compared with those we obtained with differential sum rules by employing two different models for the distribution of vacuum-quark virtualities. We determine the range of values of the derivatives of the pion distribution amplitude and show that endpoint-suppressed distribution amplitudes lie within this range, while those with endpoint enhancement---flat-type or CZ-like---yield values outside this range.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, conclusions update

Improved estimates of the pion-photon transition form factor in the (1≤Q2≤5)(\mathbf{1\leq Q^2\leq5})~GeV2^\mathbf{2} range and their theoretical uncertainties

We consider the pion-photon transition form factor at low to intermediate spacelike momenta within the theoretical framework of light-cone sum rules. We derive predictions which take into account all currently known contributions stemming from QCD perturbation theory up to the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) and by including all twist terms up to order six. In order to enable a more detailed comparison with forthcoming high-precision data, we also estimate the main systematic theoretical uncertainties, stemming from various sources, and discuss their influence on the calculations --- in particular the dominant one related to the still uncalculated part of the NNLO contribution. The analysis addresses, in broad terms, also the role of the twist-two pion distribution amplitude derived with different approaches.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Based on the talk given at the XIIth International Conference "Quark Confinement and the Hadronic Spectrum" (Thessaloniki, Greece, 28 August - 4 September 2016

Phenomenology of B -> pi pi, pi K Decays at O(alpha^2 beta_0) in QCD Factorization

We study O(alpha^2 beta_0) perturbative corrections to matrix elements entering two-body exclusive decays of the form B -> pi pi, pi K in the QCD factorization formalism, including chirally enhanced power corrections, and discuss the effect of these corrections on direct CP asymmetries, which receive their first contribution at O(alpha). We find that the O(alpha^2 beta_0) corrections are often as large as the O(alpha) corrections. We find large uncertainties due to renormalization scale dependence as well as poor knowledge of the non-perturbative parameters. We assess the effect of the perturbative corrections on the direct CP violation parameters of B -> pi^+ pi^-.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures. Updated input parameters and added citations; expanded discussio