B−>πlνB -> \pi l \nu Form Factors Calculated on the Light-Front

A consistent treatment of $B\rightarrow \pi l \nu$ decay is given on the light-front. The $B$ to $\pi$ transition form factors are calculated in the entire physical range of momentum transfer for the first time. The valence-quark contribution is obtained using relativistic light-front wave functions. Higher quark-antiquark Fock-state of the $B$-meson bound state is represented effectively by the $|B^*\pi\rangle$ configuration, and its effect is calculated in the chiral perturbation theory. Wave function renormalization is taken into account consistently. The $|B^*\pi\rangle$ contribution dominates near the zero-recoil point ($q^2\simeq 25$ GeV$^2$), and decreases rapidly as the recoil momentum increases. We find that the calculated form factor $f_+(q^2)$ follows approximately a dipole $q^2$-dependence in the entire range of momentum transfer.Comment: Revtex, 19 pages, 9 figure

Jet conversions in a quark-gluon plasma

Quark and gluon jets traversing through a quark-gluon plasma not only lose their energies but also can undergo flavor conversions. The conversion rates via the elastic $q(\bar q)g\to gq(\bar q)$ and the inelastic $q\bar q\leftrightarrow gg$ scatterings are evaluated in the lowest order in QCD. Including both jet energy loss and conversions in the expanding quark-gluon plasma produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions, we have found a net conversion of quark to gluon jets. This reduces the difference between the nuclear modification factors for quark and gluon jets in central heavy ion collisions and thus enhances the $p/\pi^+$ and ${\bar p}/\pi^-$ ratios at high transverse momentum. However, a much larger net quark to gluon jet conversion rate than the one given by the lowest-order QCD is needed to account for the observed similar ratios in central Au+Au and p+p collisions at same energy. Implications of our results are discussed.Comment: version to appear in PR

Radio-mode feedback in local AGNs: dependence on the central black hole parameters

Radio mode feedback, in which most of the energy of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is released in a kinetic form via radio-emitting jets, is thought to play an important role in the maintenance of massive galaxies in the present-day Universe. We study the link between radio emission and the properties of the central black hole in a large sample of local radio galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), based on the catalogue of Best and Heckman (2012). Our sample is mainly dominated by massive black holes (mostly in the range $10^8-10^9 M_{\odot}$) accreting at very low Eddington ratios (typically $\lambda < 0.01$). In broad agreement with previously reported trends, we find that radio galaxies are preferentially associated with the more massive black holes, and that the radio loudness parameter seems to increase with decreasing Eddington ratio. We compare our results with previous studies in the literature, noting potential biases. The majority of the local radio galaxies in our sample are currently in a radiatively inefficient accretion regime, where kinetic feedback dominates over radiative feedback. We discuss possible physical interpretations of the observed trends in the context of a two-stage feedback process involving a transition in the underlying accretion modes.Comment: accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ