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

Long-range two-body final-state interactions and direct CP asymmetry in {B}^{+}\to{\pi}^{+} {K}^{0} decay

We present a calculation of the direct CP asymmetry, $A_{CP}^{dir}$, for the process $B^+ \to \pi^+ K^0$ including the effects of long-range inelastic final-state interactions (FSI). We admit three channels in our calculation: $B^+ \to (\pi^+ K^0), (\eta K^+)$, and $(D_s^+ \bar{D}^0)$. The strong scattering is described in terms of Pomeron and Regge exchanges. We find that the direct CP asymmetry is enhanced by a factor of $\sim 3$ as a result of FSI, but remains well short of the claims of (10 - 20)% in recent literature. A critical assessment of papers claiming large CP asymmetries is also presented.Comment: 21 pages, latex, no figures. Added the charge-exchange channel {B}^{+}\to {\pi}^{0} {K}^{+}. Expanded the discussion section. To be published in Phys. Rev.

Semileptonic B Decays into Excited Charmed Mesons (D1D_1, D2∗D^*_2) in HQEFT

Exclusive semileptonic B decays into excited charmed mesons ($D_1$, $D^*_2$) are studied up to the order of $1/m_Q$ in the framework of the heavy quark effective field theory (HQEFT), which contains the contributions of both particles and antiparticles. Two wave functions $\eta^b_0$ and $\eta^c_0$, which characterize the contributions from the kinematic operator at the order of $1/m_Q$, are calculated by using QCD sum rule approach in HQEFT. Zero recoil values of other two wave functions $\kappa'_1$ and $\kappa'_2$ are extracted from the excited charmed-meson masses. Possible effects from the spin-dependent transition wave functions which arise from the magnetic operators at the order of $1/m_Q$ are analyzed. It is shown that the experimental measurements for the branching ratios of $B \to D_1 l\nu$ and $B \to D^*_2 l\nu$ can be understood in the framework of HQEFT.Comment: 27 pages, RevTex, 4 figures, 3 tables, to be published in IJMP

Bc Meson Formfactors and Bc-->PV Decays Involving Flavor Dependence of Transverse Quark Momentum

We present a detailed analysis of the Bc form factors in the BSW framework, by investigating the effects of the flavor dependence on the average transverse quark momentum inside a meson. Branching ratios of two body decays of Bc meson to pseudoscalar and vector mesons are predicted.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Semileptonic B decays to excited charmed mesons

Exclusive semileptonic B decays into excited charmed mesons are investigated at order $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q$ in the heavy quark effective theory. Differential decay rates for each helicity state of the four lightest excited $D$ mesons ($D_1$, $D_2^*$, $D_0^*$, and $D_1^*$) are examined. At zero recoil, $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q$ corrections to the matrix elements of the weak currents can be written in terms of the leading Isgur-Wise functions for the corresponding transition and meson mass splittings. A model independent prediction is found for the slope parameter of the decay rate into helicity zero $D_1$ at zero recoil. The differential decay rates are predicted, including $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q$ corrections with some model dependence away from zero recoil and including order $\alpha_s$ corrections. Ratios of various exclusive branching ratios are computed. Matrix elements of the weak currents between $B$ mesons and other excited charmed mesons are discussed at zero recoil to order $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q$. These amplitudes vanish at leading order, and can be written at order $\Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q$ in terms of local matrix elements. Applications to $B$ decay sum rules and factorization are presented.Comment: 39 pages revtex including 10 figures, uses epsf. Substantial improvements throughout the pape

Semileptonic B decays into excited charmed mesons from QCD sum rules

Exclusive semileptonic $B$ decays into excited charmed mesons are studied with QCD sum rules in the leading order of heavy quark effective theory. Two universal Isgur-Wise functions \tau and \zeta for semileptonic B decays into four lowest lying excited $D$ mesons ($D_1$, $D_2^*$, $D'_0$, and $D'_1$) are determined. The decay rates and branching ratios for these processes are calculated.Comment: RevTeX, 17 pages including 2 figure

Exclusive semileptonic B_s decays to excited D_s mesons: Search of D_{sJ}(2317) and D_{sJ}(2460)

We study the exclusive semileptonic decays B_s->D_{s0}^*\ell\bar\nu and B_s->D_{s1}^*\ell\bar\nu, where p-wave excited D_{s0}^* and D_{s1}^* states are identified with the newly observed D_{sJ}(2317) and D_{sJ}(2460) states. Within the framework of HQET the Isgur-Wise functions up to the subleading order of the heavy quark expansion are calculated by QCD sum rules. The decay rates and branching ratios are computed with the inclusion of the order of 1/m_Q corrections. We point out that the investigation of the B_s semileptonic decays to excited D_s mesons may provide some information about the nature of the new D_{sJ}^* mesons.Comment: 15 pages, 6 eps figures, RevTeX 4, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Non-leptonic two-body decays of the Bc meson in light-front quark model and QCD factorization approach

We study exclusive non-leptonic two-body $B_c\to(D_{(s)},\eta_c,B_{(s)})+F$ decays with $F$(pseudoscalar or vector meson) being factored out in QCD factorization approach. The non-leptonic decay amplitudes are related to the product of meson decay constants and the form factors for semileptonic $B_c$ decays. As inputs in obtaining the branching ratios for a large set of non-leptonic $B_c$ decays, we use the weak form factors for the semileptonic $B_c\to(D_{(s)},\eta_c,B_{(s)})$ decays in the whole kinematical region and the unmeasured meson decay constants obtained from our previous light-front quark model. We compare our results of the branching ratios with those of other theoretical studies.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, minor corrections, version to appear in PR

QCD Factorization for B→ππB\to\pi\pi Decays: Strong Phases and CP Violation in the Heavy Quark Limit

We show that, in the heavy quark limit, the hadronic matrix elements that enter $B$ meson decays into two light mesons can be computed from first principles, including `non-factorizable' strong interaction corrections, and expressed in terms of form factors and meson light-cone distribution amplitudes. The conventional factorization result follows in the limit when both power corrections in $1/m_b$ and radiative corrections in $\alpha_s$ are neglected. We compute the order-$\alpha_s$ corrections to the decays $B_d\to\pi^+\pi^-$, $B_d\to\pi^0\pi^0$ and $B^+\to\pi^+\pi^0$ in the heavy quark limit and briefly discuss the phenomenological implications for the branching ratios, strong phases and CP violation.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur