Heavy Quark Parameters and Vcb from Spectral Moments in Semileptonic B Decays

We extract the heavy quark masses and non-perturbative parameters from the Delphi preliminary measurements of the first three moments of the charged lepton energy and hadronic mass distributions in semileptonic B decays, using a multi-parameter fit. We adopt two formalisms, one of which does not rely on a 1/mc expansion and makes use of running quark masses. The data are consistent and the level of accuracy of the experimental inputs largely determines the present sensitivity. The results allow to improve on the uncertainty in the extraction of Vcb.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Dermatitis crónica por sensibilización al níquel en un paciente con fractura del astrágalo tratada mediante osteosíntesis

Se presenta un varón de 25 años, con fractura del astrágalo izquierdo tratada mediante osteosíntesis con 2 tornillos de acero inoxidable con un contenido en níquel del 12-14%. A los 4 meses de la intervención, el paciente desarrolló una dermatitis pruriginosa en cara lateral externa del pie, en la zona cutánea supra-adyacente al lugar de la osteosíntesis. La lesión no cedió con el tratamiento tópico convencional a base de corticoides. Las pruebas epicutáneas realizadas con la batería estándar del Grupo Español de Investigación en Dermatitis de Contacto revelaron un parche positivo vesiculoso (+ +) al sulfato de níquel al 2,5% y al cloruro de cobalto al 1%, ambos aplicados en vaselina, en la lectura a las 48 y 96 horas. En vista de que las lesiones permanecían estables al mes de tratamiento con un potente corticoide en cura oclusiva y antihistamínicos sistémicos, se procedió a retirar los tornillos de osteosíntesis. A los pocos días de la intervención comenzó a desaparecer el prurito y, en el curso de 2 semanas, se produjo la curación completa de la dermatitisSe presenta un varón de 25 años, con fractura del astrágalo izquierdo tratada mediante osteosíntesis con 2 tornillos de acero inoxidable con un contenido en níquel del 12-14%. A los 4 meses de la intervención, el paciente desarrolló una dermatitis pruriginosa en cara lateral externa del pie, en la zona cutánea supra-adyacente al lugar de la osteosíntesis. La lesión no cedió con el tratamiento tópico convencional a base de corticoides. Las pruebas epicutáneas realizadas con la batería estándar del Grupo Español de Investigación en Dermatitis de Contacto revelaron un parche positivo vesiculoso (+ +) al sulfato de níquel al 2,5% y al cloruro de cobalto al 1%, ambos aplicados en vaselina, en la lectura a las 48 y 96 horas. En vista de que las lesiones permanecían estables al mes de tratamiento con un potente corticoide en cura oclusiva y antihistamínicos sistémicos, se procedió a retirar los tornillos de osteosíntesis. A los pocos días de la intervención comenzó a desaparecer el prurito y, en el curso de 2 semanas, se produjo la curación completa de la dermatitis

Memorino on the `1/2 vs. 3/2 Puzzle' in Bˉ→lνˉXc\bar B \to l \bar \nu X_c

After the successes the OPE description has scored in describing $\bar B \to l \bar \nu X_c$ decays, we need to study what can be said about the composition of the hadronic final state $X_c$. The same OPE treatment yields sum rules implying the dominance of $j_q = 3/2$ charm states in $X_c$ over their $j_q=1/2$ counterparts. This prediction is supported by other general arguments as well as quark model calculations. At present it is unclear to which degree data conform to these predictions. More experimental information is essential. We want to ask our experimental colleagues for a redoubled effort to establish, which hadronic configurations -- $D/D^* + \pi, D/D^* + 2 \pi, ...$ -- make up $\Gamma (\bar B \to l \bar \nu X_c)$ beyond $\bar B \to l \bar \nu D/D^*$, what their quantum numbers are and their mass distributions. The latter is most relevant for the determination of hadronic mass moments in $\bar B \to l \bar \nu X_c$. Since all this will require considerable effort on their part, we want to explain the theoretical issues involved, why they carry `gravitas' -- i.e. are weighty -- and why a better understanding of them will be of significant value. In this brief memo we sketch the underlying arguments based on heavy quark theory, the OPE, a special class of quark models and lattice QCD in a nutshell. After summarizing the experimental situation we conclude with two lists, namely one with measurements that need to be done and one with items of theoretical homework. Some of the latter can be done by employing existing theoretical tools, whereas others need new ideas.Comment: 13 pages, no figure

Averages of bb-hadron, cc-hadron, and τ\tau-lepton properties as of summer 2014

This article reports world averages of measurements of $b$-hadron, $c$-hadron, and $\tau$-lepton properties obtained by the Heavy Flavor Averaging Group (HFAG) using results available through summer 2014. For the averaging, common input parameters used in the various analyses are adjusted (rescaled) to common values, and known correlations are taken into account. The averages include branching fractions, lifetimes, neutral meson mixing parameters, $CP$ violation parameters, parameters of semileptonic decays and CKM matrix elements.Comment: 436 pages, many figures and tables. Online updates available at http://www.slac.stanford.edu/xorg/hfag

Evidence for the η_b(1S) Meson in Radiative Υ(2S) Decay

We have performed a search for the η_b(1S) meson in the radiative decay of the Υ(2S) resonance using a sample of 91.6 × 10^6 Υ(2S) events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We observe a peak in the photon energy spectrum at E_γ = 609.3^(+4.6)_(-4.5)(stat)±1.9(syst) MeV, corresponding to an η_b(1S) mass of 9394.2^(+4.8)_(-4.9)(stat) ± 2.0(syst) MeV/c^2. The branching fraction for the decay Υ(2S) → γη_b(1S) is determined to be [3.9 ± 1.1(stat)^(+1.1)_(-0.9)(syst)] × 10^(-4). We find the ratio of branching fractions B[Υ(2S) → γη_b(1S)]/B[Υ(3S) → γη_b(1S)]= 0.82 ± 0.24(stat)^(+0.20)_(-0.19)(syst)

Study of Leading Hadrons in Gluon and Quark Fragmentation

The study of quark jets in e+e- reactions at LEP has demonstrated that the hadronisation process is reproduced well by the Lund string model. However, our understanding of gluon fragmentation is less complete. In this study enriched quark and gluon jet samples of different purities are selected in three-jet events from hadronic decays of the Z collected by the DELPHI experiment in the LEP runs during 1994 and 1995. The leading systems of the two kinds of jets are defined by requiring a rapidity gap and their sum of charges is studied. An excess of leading systems with total charge zero is found for gluon jets in all cases, when compared to Monte Carlo Simulations with JETSET (with and without Bose-Einstein correlations included) and ARIADNE. The corresponding leading systems of quark jets do not exhibit such an excess. The influence of the gap size and of the gluon purity on the effect is studied and a concentration of the excess of neutral leading systems at low invariant masses (<~ 2 GeV/c^2) is observed, indicating that gluon jets might have an additional hitherto undetected fragmentation mode via a two-gluon system. This could be an indication of a possible production of gluonic states as predicted by QCD.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by Phys. Lett.

Measurement of B(B-->X_s {\gamma}), the B-->X_s {\gamma} photon energy spectrum, and the direct CP asymmetry in B-->X_{s+d} {\gamma} decays

The photon spectrum in B --> X_s {\gamma} decay, where X_s is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of (382.8\pm 4.2) \times 10^6 e^+ e^- --> \Upsilon(4S) --> BBbar events collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II collider. The spectrum is used to measure the branching fraction B(B --> X_s \gamma) = (3.21 \pm 0.15 \pm 0.29 \pm 0.08)\times 10^{-4} and the first, second, and third moments = 2.267 \pm 0.019 \pm 0.032 \pm 0.003 GeV,, )^2> = 0.0484 \pm 0.0053 \pm 0.0077 \pm 0.0005 GeV^2, and )^3> = -0.0048 \pm 0.0011 \pm 0.0011 \pm 0.0004 GeV^3, for the range E_\gamma > 1.8 GeV, where E_{\gamma} is the photon energy in the B-meson rest frame. Results are also presented for narrower E_{\gamma} ranges. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A_{CP}(B --> X_{s+d} \gamma) is measured to be 0.057 \pm 0.063. The spectrum itself is also unfolded to the B-meson rest frame; that is the frame in which theoretical predictions for its shape are made.Comment: 37 pages, 19 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D. No analysis or results have changed from previous version. Some changes to improve clarity based on interactions with Phys. Rev. D referees, including one new Figure (Fig. 13), and some minor wording/punctuation/spelling mistakes fixe

Precise Measurement of the e+ e- --> pi+ pi- (gamma) Cross Section with the Initial-State Radiation Method at BABAR

A precise measurement of the cross section of the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-(\gamma)$ from threshold to an energy of 3GeV is obtained with the initial-state radiation (ISR) method using 232fb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the BaBar detector at $e^+e^-$ center-of-mass energies near 10.6GeV. The ISR luminosity is determined from a study of the leptonic process $e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-(\gamma)\gamma_{\rm ISR}$, which is found to agree with the next-to-leading-order QED prediction to within 1.1%. The cross section for the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-(\gamma)$ is obtained with a systematic uncertainty of 0.5% in the dominant $\rho$ resonance region. The leading-order hadronic contribution to the muon magnetic anomaly calculated using the measured $\pi\pi$ cross section from threshold to 1.8GeV is $(514.1 \pm 2.2({\rm stat}) \pm 3.1({\rm syst}))\times 10^{-10}$.Comment: 58 pages, 56 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.

Determination of the b quark mass at the M_Z scale with the DELPHI detector at LEP

An experimental study of the normalized three-jet rate of b quark events with respect to light quarks events (light= \ell \equiv u,d,s) has been performed using the CAMBRIDGE and DURHAM jet algorithms. The data used were collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP on the Z peak from 1994 to 2000. The results are found to agree with theoretical predictions treating mass corrections at next-to-leading order. Measurements of the b quark mass have also been performed for both the b pole mass: M_b and the b running mass: m_b(M_Z). Data are found to be better described when using the running mass. The measurement yields: m_b(M_Z) = 2.85 +/- 0.18 (stat) +/- 0.13 (exp) +/- 0.19 (had) +/- 0.12 (theo) GeV/c^2 for the CAMBRIDGE algorithm. This result is the most precise measurement of the b mass derived from a high energy process. When compared to other b mass determinations by experiments at lower energy scales, this value agrees with the prediction of Quantum Chromodynamics for the energy evolution of the running mass. The mass measurement is equivalent to a test of the flavour independence of the strong coupling constant with an accuracy of 7 permil.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, Accepted by Eur. Phys. J.

Measurement of ISR-FSR interference in the processes e+ e- --> mu+ mu- gamma and e+ e- --> pi+ pi- gamma

Charge asymmetry in processes e+ e- --> mu+ mu- gamma and e+ e- --> pi+ pi- gamma is measured using 232 fb-1 of data collected with the BABAR detector at center-of-mass energies near 10.58 GeV. An observable is introduced and shown to be very robust against detector asymmetries while keeping a large sensitivity to the physical charge asymmetry that results from the interference between initial and final state radiation. The asymmetry is determined as afunction of the invariant mass of the final-state tracks from production threshold to a few GeV/c2. It is compared to the expectation from QED for e+ e- --> mu+ mu- gamma and from theoretical models for e+ e- --> pi+ pi- gamma. A clear interference pattern is observed in e+ e- --> pi+ pi- gamma, particularly in the vicinity of the f_2(1270) resonance. The inferred rate of lowest order FSR production is consistent with the QED expectation for e+ e- --> mu+ mu- gamma, and is negligibly small for e+ e- --> pi+ pi- gamma.Comment: 32 pages,29 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.