arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Edward H. Thorndike.
An informal review is given of the status and direction of experiments on radiative B decays -- b -> s gamma and b -> d gamma. Branching fractions for exclusive and inclusive b -> s gamma decays, CP asymmetry limits, the photon energy spectrum, and limits on the b -> d gamma exclusive branching fractions are covered, and implications of the measurements discussed.
On the occasion of a symposium honoring my collegue Adrian Melissinos, I gave an informal, personal review of bottom quark physics. This paper is a writeup of that talk. I first summarize the early days, the decade from the discovery through the determination of the b quark's rough features. I note a change in objective which occurred around 1990, with the new emphasis being USING the b quark, to probe the Standard Model and to search for physics `beyond the Standard Model'. I review the flavor sector of the Standard Model, showing why the b quark is such a useful probe. I then discuss three topics of current interest: the determination of V_ub; studies of rare hadronic B decays; and the radiative penguin decay b -> s gamma.