Interplay of t --> b W Decay and B_q Meson Mixing in Minimal Flavor Violating Models

Abstract

Precise measurements of the top quark decay properties at hadron colliders offer interesting new possibilities of testing the standard model. At the same time, recent intriguing experimental results concerning CP violation in the B_d and B_s systems have stimulated many studies of physics beyond the standard model. We investigate anomalous t W d_j interactions as a possible source of new effects in B_{d,s} - bar B_{d,s} oscillations within a model independent approach based on the assumptions of Minimal Flavor Violation. After matching our effective operators onto the low-energy effective Lagrangian describing B_{d,s} meson mixing and evolving it down to the B-mass scale, we extract the preferred ranges of the anomalous t W d_j interactions at the weak scale. These values are then compared to previously considered constraints coming from the rare radiative B --> X_s gamma decay. Finally, we reconsider the associated effects in the t --> b W decays and find that the W helicity fractions F_{L,+} can deviate by as much as 15%, 30% from their standard model values, respectively. The deviations in F_L in particular, can reach the level of expected precision measurements at the LHC.