arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Matthias Neubert.
Recent developments in the theory of CP violation in the B-meson system are reviewed, with focus on the determination of sin(2beta) from B-> J/psi K decays, its implications for tests of the Standard Model and searches for New Physics, and the determination of gamma and alpha from charmless hadronic B decays.
The QCD factorization approach provides the theoretical basis for a systematic analysis of nonleptonic decay amplitudes of B mesons in the heavy-quark limit. After recalling the basic ideas underlying this formalism, several tests of QCD factorization in the decays B -> D^(*) L, B -> K^* gamma, and B -> pi K,pi pi are discussed. It is then illustrated how factorization can be used to obtain new constraints on the parameters of the unitarity triangle.
Recent experimental results on the color-suppressed nonleptonic decays B^0 -> D^{(*)0} pi^0 provide evidence for a failure of the naive factorization model and for sizeable relative strong-interaction phases between class-1 and class-2 B -> D^(*) pi decay amplitudes. The allowed regions for the corresponding ratios of (complex) isospin amplitudes and a_2/a_1 parameters are determined. The results are interpreted in the context of QCD factorization for the related class-1 amplitudes in the heavy-quark limit.
The element |V_{ub}| of the quark mixing matrix can be extracted with small theoretical uncertainties by combining weighted integrals over the endpoint regions of the lepton spectrum in B -> X_u l nu decays and the photon spectrum in B -> X_s gamma decays. The perturbative corrections to this determination are computed at next-to-leading order including operator mixing, which has an important impact. The effect of Sudakov resummation is shown to be numerically insignificant.
We reduce the perturbative uncertainty in the determination of |V_{ub}| from inclusive semileptonic B decays by calculating the rate of B -> X_u l nu events with dilepton invariant mass q^2>(M_B-M_D)^2 at subleading order in the hybrid expansion, and to next-to-leading order in renormalization-group improved perturbation theory. We also resum logarithmic corrections to the leading power-suppressed contributions. Studying the effect of different b-quark mass definitions we find that the branching ratio after the cut is Br(B -> X_u l nu)=(20.9+-4.0)|V_{ub}|^2, where the dominant error is due to the uncertainty in the b-quark mass. This implies that |V_{ub}| can be determined with a precision of about 10%.
We present exact results, at next-to-leading order in renormalization-group improved perturbation theory, for the Wilson coefficients appearing at order 1/m_Q in the heavy-quark expansion of heavy-light current operators. To this end, we complete the calculation of the corresponding two-loop anomalous dimension matrix. Our results are important for determinations of |V_{ub}| using exclusive and inclusive semileptonic B decays. They are also relevant to computations of the decay constant f_B based on a heavy-quark expansion.
Using the renormalon calculus, we study the asymptotic behavior of the perturbative expansion of the hard-scattering kernels entering the QCD factorization formula for the nonleptonic weak decays B->D M, where M is a light meson. In the ``large-beta_0 limit'', the kernels are infrared finite and free of endpoint singularities to all orders of perturbation theory. The leading infrared renormalon singularity corresponding to a power correction of order Lambda/m_b vanishes if the light meson has a symmetric light-cone distribution amplitude. We calculate the Borel transforms and the corresponding momentum distribution functions of the hard-scattering kernels, and resum the series of O(beta_0^{n-1} alpha_s^n) corrections to explore the numerical significance of higher-order perturbative and power corrections. We also derive explicit expressions for the O(beta_0 alpha_s^2) contributions to the kernels, and for the renormalon singularities corresponding to power corrections of order (Lambda/m_b)^2. Finally, we study the limit m_c->0 relevant to charmless hadronic decays such as B->pi pi.
These notes provide a pedagogical introduction to the theory of non-leptonic heavy-meson decays recently proposed by Beneke, Buchalla, Sachrajda and myself. We provide a rigorous basis for factorization for a large class of non-leptonic two-body B-meson decays in the heavy-quark limit. The resulting factorization formula incorporates elements of the naive factorization approach and the hard-scattering approach, and allows us to compute systematically radiative (``non-factorizable'') corrections to naive factorization for decays such as B->D+pi and B->pi+pi.
We review recent advances in the theory of strong-interaction effects and final-state interactions in hadronic weak decays of heavy mesons. In the heavy-quark limit, the amplitudes for most nonleptonic, two-body B decays can be calculated from first principles and expressed in terms of semileptonic form factors and light-cone distribution amplitudes. We summarize the main features of this novel QCD factorization and discuss its phenomenological applications to B->D^(*)+L decays (with L a light meson), and to the rare charmless decays B->pi+K and B->pi+pi.
We show that in supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model gluino box diagrams can yield a large CP-violating Delta(I)=3/2 contribution to s->d+q(bar)+q flavor-changing neutral current processes, which feeds into the I=2 isospin amplitude in K->pi+pi decays. This contribution only requires moderate mass splitting between the right-handed squarks u(tilde)_R and d(tilde)_R, and persists for squark masses of order 1 TeV. Taking into account current bounds on Im(delta_{sd}^{LL}) from K-K(bar) mixing, the resulting contribution to epsilon'/epsilon could naturally be an order of magnitude larger than the measured value.
We study neutrino physics in the context of the localized gravity model with non-factorizable metric proposed by Randall and Sundrum. Identifying the right-handed neutrino with a bulk fermion zero mode, which can be localized on the ``hidden'' 3-brane in the Randall--Sundrum model, we obtain naturally small Dirac neutrino masses without invoking a see-saw mechanism. Our model predicts a strong hierarchy of neutrino masses and generically large mixing angles.
We review recent advances in the theory of strong-interaction effects and final-state interactions in hadronic weak decays of heavy mesons. In the heavy-quark limit, the amplitudes for most nonleptonic, two-body B decays can be calculated from first principles and expressed in terms of semileptonic form factors and light-cone distribution amplitudes. We summarize the main features of this novel QCD factorization and discuss its phenomenological applications to B -> D^(*) L decays (with L a light meson), and to the rare charmless decays B -> pi K and B -> pi pi.
We explore the would-be consequences of a low value of the CP-violating phase $\sin2β_{ψK}$. The importance of a reference triangle obtained from measurements that are independent of $B$--$\bar B$ and $K$--$\bar K$ mixing is stressed. It can be used to extract separately potential New Physics contributions to mixing in the $B_d$, $B_s$ and $K$ systems. We discuss several constructions of this triangle, which will be feasible in the near future. The discrete ambiguity is at most two-fold and eventually can be completely removed. Simultaneously, it will be possible to probe for New Physics in loop-dominated rare decays.
We review recent advances in the theory of strong-interaction effects and final-state interactions in hadronic weak decays of heavy mesons. In the heavy-quark limit, the amplitudes for most nonleptonic, two-body B decays can be calculated from first principles and expressed in terms of semileptonic form factors and light-cone distribution amplitudes. We discuss the features of this novel QCD factorization and illustrate its phenomenological implications.
Bauer, Ligeti and Luke have recently proposed a new method for measuring |V_{ub}| in inclusive semileptonic B decays, using a cut on the lepton invariant mass to discriminate against b->c transitions. We investigate the structure of the heavy-quark expansion for this case and show that to all orders the magnitude of the leading perturbative and nonperturbative corrections is controlled by a hadronic scale mu_c=O(m_c) depending on the minimal value of q^2. These corrections can be analyzed using a modified version of the heavy-quark expansion (``hybrid expansion''). We find that the theoretical uncertainty in the extraction of |V_{ub}| is a factor 2.5 larger than previously estimated, which allows for a determination with 10% accuracy.
These lectures provide an introduction to various topics in heavy-flavor physics. We review the theory and phenomenology of heavy-quark symmetry, exclusive weak decays of $B$ mesons, inclusive decay rates, and some rare $B$ decays.
We study bulk fermion fields in the localized gravity model with non-factorizable metric recently proposed by Randall and Sundrum, and Gogberashvili. In addition to a tower of weak-scale Kaluza-Klein states we find a zero mode for any value of the fundamental fermion mass. If the fermion mass is larger than half the curvature of the compact dimension, the zero mode can be localized on the ``hidden'' 3-brane in the Randall-Sundrum model. Identifying this mode with a right-handed neutrino provides a new way for obtaining small Dirac neutrino masses without invoking a see-saw mechanism. Cancellation of the parity anomaly requires introducing an even number of bulk fermions. This naturally leads to a strong hierarchy of neutrino masses and generically large mixing angles.
Some rare hadronic decays of B mesons, such as B->pi K, are sensitive to isospin-violating contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model. Although commonly referred to as electroweak penguins, such contributions can often arise through tree-level exchanges of heavy particles, or through strong-interaction loop diagrams. The Wilson coefficients of the corresponding electroweak penguin operators are calculated in a large class of New Physics models, and in many cases are found not to be suppressed with respect to the QCD penguin coefficients. Several tests for these effects using observables in B->pi K decays are discussed, and nontrivial bounds on the couplings of the various New Physics models are derived.