Revisiting B\to\pi K, \pi K^{\ast} and \rho K decays: CP violations and implication for New Physics

Combining the up-to-date experimental information on $B\to\pi K, \pi K^{\ast}$ and $\rho K$ decays, we revisit the decay rates and CP asymmetries of these decays within the framework of QCD factorization. Using an infrared finite gluon propagator of Cornwall prescription, we find that the time-like annihilation amplitude could contribute a large strong phase, while the space-like hard spectator scattering amplitude is real. Numerically, we find that all the branching ratios and most of the direct CP violations, except $A_{CP}(B^{\pm}\to K^{\pm}\pi^{0})$, agree with the current experimental data with an effective gluon mass $m_g\simeq0.5 {\rm GeV}$. Taking the unmatched difference in direct CP violations between $B\to\pi^{0} K^{\pm}$ and $\pi^{\mp}K^{\pm}$ decays as a hint of new physics, we perform a model-independent analysis of new physics contributions with a set of $\bar{s}(1+\gamma_{5})b\otimes\bar{q}(1+\gamma_{5})q$ (q=u,d) operators. Detail analyses of the relative impacts of the operators are presented in five cases. Fitting the twelve decay modes, parameter spaces are found generally with nontrivial weak phases. Our results may indicate that both strong phase from annihilation amplitude and new weak phase from new physics are needed to resolve the $\pi K$ puzzle. To further test the new physics hypothesis, the mixing-induced CP violations in $B\to\pi^{0}K_{S}$ and $\rho^{0}K_{S}$ are discussed and good agreements with the recent experimental data are found.Comment: Version published in JHE

Λb→Λcτνˉτ\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\tau\bar\nu_\tau decay in scalar and vector leptoquark scenarios

It has been shown that the anomalies observed in $\bar B\to D^{(\ast)}\tau\bar\nu_\tau$ and $\bar B\to \bar K\ell^+\ell^-$ decays can be resolved by adding a single scalar or vector leptoquark to the Standard Model, while constraints from other precision measurements in the flavour sector can be satisfied without fine-tuning. To further explore these two interesting scenarios, in this paper, we study their effects in the semi-leptonic $\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\tau\bar\nu_\tau$ decay. Using the best-fit solutions for the operator coefficients allowed by the current data of mesonic decays, we find that (i) the two scenarios give similar amounts of enhancements to the branching fraction $\mathcal B(\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\tau\bar\nu_\tau)$ and the ratio $R_{\Lambda_c}=\mathcal B(\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c \tau\bar\nu_\tau)/\mathcal B(\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\ell\bar\nu_\ell)$, (ii) the two best-fit solutions in each of these two scenarios are also indistinguishable from each other, (iii) both scenarios give nearly the same predictions as those of the Standard Model for the longitudinal polarizations of $\Lambda_c$ and $\tau$ as well as the lepton-side forward-backward asymmetry. With future measurements of these observables in $\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\tau\bar\nu_\tau$ decay at the LHCb, the two leptoquark scenarios could be further tested, and even differentiated from the other NP explanations for the $R_{D^{(\ast)}}$ anomalies. We also discuss the feasibility for the measurements of these observables at the LHC and the future $e^+e^-$ colliders.Comment: 29 pages, 4 tables and 2 figures; More references and the feasibility for the measurements of the observables in these decays at the LHC and the future $e^+e^-$ colliders added, final version published in the journa

b→cτνb\to c\tau\nu Transitions in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory

The $R(D^{(\ast)})$ anomalies observed in $B\to D^{(\ast)}\tau\nu$ decays have attracted much attention in recent years. In this paper, we study the $B\to D^{(\ast)}\tau\nu$, $\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\tau\nu$, $B_c\to (J/\psi,\,\eta_c)\tau\nu$, $B\to X_c\tau\nu$, and $B_c\to\tau\nu$ decays, all being mediated by the same quark-level $b\to c\tau\nu$ transition, in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory. The most relevant dimension-six operators for these processes are $Q_{lq}^{(3)}$, $Q_{ledq}$, $Q^{(1)}_{lequ}$, and $Q^{(3)}_{lequ}$ in the Warsaw basis. Evolution of the corresponding Wilson coefficients from the new physics scale $\Lambda=1$~TeV down to the characteristic scale $\mu_b\simeq m_b$ is performed at three-loop in QCD and one-loop in EW/QED. It is found that, after taking into account the constraint ${\cal B}(B_c\to\tau\nu)\lesssim 10\%$, a single $\left[C_{lq}^{(3)}\right]_{3323}(\Lambda)$ or $\left[C^{(3)}_{lequ}\right]_{3332}(\Lambda)$ can still be used to resolve the $R(D^{(\ast)})$ anomalies at $1\sigma$, while a single $\left[C^{(1)}_{lequ}\right]_{3332}(\Lambda)$ is already ruled out by the measured $R(D^{(\ast)})$ at more than $3\sigma$. By minimizing the $\chi^2(C_i)$ function constructed based on the current data on $R(D)$, $R(D^\ast)$, $P_\tau(D^\ast)$, $R(J/\psi)$, and $R(X_c)$, we obtain eleven most trustworthy scenarios, each of which can provide a good explanation of the $R(D^{(\ast)})$ anomalies at $1\sigma$. To further discriminate these different scenarios, we predict thirty-one observables associated with the processes considered under each NP scenario. It is found that most of the scenarios can be differentiated from each other by using these observables and their correlations.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figures and 5 tables; references updated and more discussions added, final version to be published in the journa