Extracting |V_{ub}| from the Hadronic Mass Spectrum of Inclusive B decays

Following a strategy introduced earlier by the authors, we show that it is possible to extract |V_{ub}| from the cut hadronic mass spectrum of B decays without large systematic errors which usually arise from having to model the Fermi motion of the heavy quark. We present a closed form expression for |V_{ub}|/|V_{ts}| which is accurate up to corrections of order \alpha_s^2, \alpha_s \rho, (\Lambda/m_b)^2/\rho, where \rho is the experimental cut (s_c/m_b^2) on the hadronic mass used to veto charmed decays. Modulo duality violation errors, which are intrinsic to all inclusive predictions, we estimate the theoretical error in the extraction to be at the 5% level.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Semileptonic Lambda_b decay to excited Lambda_c baryons at order Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q

Exclusive semileptonic Lambda_b decays to excited charmed Lambda_c baryons are investigated at order Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q in the heavy quark effective theory. The differential decay rates are analyzed for the J^\pi=1/2^- Lambda_c(2593) and the J^\pi=3/2^- \Lambda_c(2625). They receive 1/m_{c,b} corrections at zero recoil that are determined by mass splittings and the leading order Isgur-Wise function. With some assumptions, we find that the branching fraction for Lambda_b decays to these states is 2.5-3.3%. The decay rate to the helicity \pm 3/2 states, which vanishes for m_Q \to \infty, remains small at order Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q since 1/m_c corrections do not contribute. Matrix elements of weak currents between a Lambda_b and other excited Lambda_c states are analyzed at zero-recoil to order Lambda_{QCD}/m_Q. Applications to baryonic heavy quark sum-rules are explored.Comment: 27 pages, 1 fig., minor changes, version to appear in Phys.Rev.

Radiation reaction at 3.5 post-Newtonian order in effective field theory

We derive the radiation reaction forces on a compact binary inspiral through 3.5 order in the post-Newtonian expansion using the effective field theory approach. We utilize a recent formulation of Hamilton’s variational principle that rigorously extends the usual Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms to dissipative systems, including the inspiral of a compact binary from the emission of gravitational waves. We find agreement with previous results, which thus provides a non-trivial confirmation of the extended variational principle. The results from this work nearly complete the equations of motion for the generic inspiral of a compact binary with spinning constituents through 3.5 post-Newtonian order, as derived entirely with effective field theory, with only the spin-orbit corrections to the potential at 3.5 post-Newtonian remaining

The color-singlet contribution to e^+ e^- ->J/psi + X at the endpoint

Recent observations of the J/psi spectrum produced in e^+e^- collisions at the Upsilon(4S) resonance are in conflict with fixed-order calculations using Non-Relativsitic QCD effective theory (NRQCD). One problem is an enhancement in the cross section when the J/psi has maximal energy, due to large perturbative corrections (Sudakov logarithms). In a recent paper, the Sudakov logarithms in the color-octet contribution were summed by combining NRQCD with the Soft-Collinear Effective Theory. However to be consistent, the color-singlet contributions must also be summed in the endpoint region which was not done in that paper. In this paper, we sum the leading and next-to-leading logarithms in the color-singlet contribution to the J/psi production cross section. We find that the color-singlet cross section is suppressed near endpoint compared to the fixed order NRQCD prediction.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure

Quark mass effects in the soft-collinear effective theory and B -> X_s + photon in the endpoint region

We consider the effects of a light quark mass in the soft-collinear effective theory (SCET) and we apply them to B -> X_s gamma in the endpoint region. We find that the reparameterization invariance can be extended by including the collinear quark mass in the SCET Lagrangian. This symmetry constrains the theory with the quark mass terms, and we present explicit results at one loop. It also relates the Wilson coefficients of some mass operators to those of the leading operators, which are useful in organizing the subleading effects due to the quark mass in B -> X_s gamma. We present strange quark mass corrections to B -> X_s gamma in the endpoint region as an application. The forward scattering amplitude from the mass corrections is factorized, and it can be expressed as a convolution of the m_s^2/p_X^2-suppressed jet function and the leading-order shape function of the B meson. This contribution should be added to the existing subleading contributions from the B meson shape functions to obtain complete subleading corrections.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures; some errors are corrected and numerical estimates are adde

A Comment on the Extractions of V_{ub} from Radiative Decays

We present a model independent closed form expression for |V_{ub}|^2/|V_{tb} V_{ts}^*|^2, which includes the resummation of large endpoint logarithms as well as the interference effects from the operators $O_2$ and $O_8$. We demonstrate that the method to extract |V_{ub}| presented by the authors in hep-ph/9909404, and modified in this letter to include interference effects, is not just a refinement of the method introduced in hep-ph/9312311. We also discuss the model dependence of the latter proposal. Furthermore, we show that the resummation is not negligible and that the Landau pole does not introduce any significant uncertainties.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures; one figure added, one reference added, expanded discussion