What can we learn from B→DsKπ, Bd→DsKπ and Bd→DsK decays?

We study the nonresonant three-body decays of B⁺→D^(*)−_sK⁺π⁺ and B_d→D_s^(*)−K⁰π⁺. We find that these decays can provide the information on the time-like form factors of D^(*)_sK. We also explicitly investigate B_d→D_s^(*)−K^*+ decays by discriminating the nonresonant contributions with the unknown D^(*)_s wave functions being fixed by the measured mode of B_d→D_s⁻K⁺.     

On the B→Xs ll decays in general supersymmetric models

We analyze the inclusive semileptonic decays B→X_s l⁺l⁻ in the framework of the supersymmetric standard model with non-universal soft-breaking terms at GUT scale. We show that the general trend of universal and non-universal models is a decreasing of branching ratio (BR) and increasing of energy asymmetry (AS). However, only non-universal models can have chances to get very large enhancements in BR and AS, corresponding to large (negative) SUSY contributions to the b→sγ amplitude.     

Virtual corrections to the decay b → s + γ

We calculate the O(_s) virtual corrections to the matrix element for b → sγ, taking into account the contributions of the four-Fermi operator O₂ and the electromagnetic and color dipole-type operators. The results are combined with existing O(_s) Bremsstrahlung corrections in order to obtain the relevant inclusive rate. The new result drastically reduces the large scale dependence of the leading logarithmic approximation. It implies that a very accurate prediction for the branching ratio for B → X_sγ will become possible once also the corrections to the Wilson coefficients are available.     

Understanding DsJ(2317)

We analyze the hadronic and radiative decay modes of the recently observed D_sJ(2317) meson, in the hypothesis that it can be identified with the scalar state of spectrum (D_s0). The method is based on heavy quark symmetries and vector meson dominance ansatz. We find that the hadronic isospin violating mode D_s0→D_sπ⁰ is enhanced with respect to the radiative mode D_s0→D_s^*γ. The estimated width of the meson is Γ(D_s0)7 keV.     

Composite scalars in ee collisions and radiative Z decays

Starting point is the hypothesis that the observed Z→e⁺e⁻γ decays are mediated by a (composite) spin 0 boson X with 40m_X50 GeV. The consequences for e⁺e⁻→e⁺e⁻, e⁺e⁻→γγ and e⁺e⁻→ hadrons at PETRA are explored. PETRA experiments turn out to be sensitive up to masses m_X50 GeV; the best indicator for m_X 48 GeV is the angular distribution of Bhabha scattering.     

Trying to catch the elusive A and more. Reactions initiated by b-quarks and the Higgs sector of the MSSM

We study the cross sections for the production of neneural, intermediate mass Higgs boson in the process pp→ tq′φ, pp→tW⁻φ and pp→bZ⁰φ in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (φ = H⁰, h⁰ and A⁰) at Supercollider energies. The additional heavy particles (t, W, Z) in the final state can be used for tagging purposes, increasing the signal to background ratio. These reactions are dominated by bg and bg fusion. Their relevance for Higgs particle searches is discussed taking into account the expected efficiencies and purities for b-tagging. We find that, for tan β = 30, the cross sections for pp → bZ⁰φ are larger than 14 pb, over the whole intemediate range of M_A⁰, for A⁰ and at least one of the other two Higgses. Therefore this reaction is an excellent candidate for the discovery of one or more MSSM Higgs particles.     

Constraints on light bottom squarks from radiative B-meson decays

The presence of a light squark (  GeV) and gluino (  GeV) might explain the observed excess in b-quark production at the Tevatron. Though provocative, this model is not excluded by present data. The light supersymmetric particles can induce large flavor-changing effects in radiative decays of B mesons. We analyze the decays B→X_sγ and B→X_sg in this scenario and derive restrictive bounds on the flavor-changing quark–squark–gluino couplings.     

The contribution of Bc mesons to the search for B → τ ντ decays at LEP

We study the contribution of B_c mesons to the search for B → τν_τ decays. We find that at LEP the contributions from B_u and B_c mesons can be comparable. This observation can have a relevant impact on the extraction of constraints on new physics (such as charged-Higgs contributions) from current LEP limits on B → τν final states. Inclusion of the B_c contribution can reduce the current L3 limit on tan β/M_H from 0.38 GeV⁻¹ (90% CL) down to 0.27 GeV⁻¹ (90% CL).     

Sneutrino–Higgs mixing in WW and ZZ production in supersymmetry with R-parity violation

We consider new s-channel scalar exchanges in e⁺e⁻→ZZ, W⁺W⁻ in supersymmetry with a small lepton number violation. We show that a small bilinear R-parity violating term which leads to sneutrino–Higgs mixing can give rise to a significant scalar resonance enhancement in e⁺e⁻→ZZ, W⁺W⁻. We use the LEP2 measurements of the WW and ZZ cross-sections to place useful constraints on this scenario. We also find, under conservative assumptions on the relevant parameter space involved, that such an exchange of the sneutrino-like admixture in e⁺e⁻→ZZ, W⁺W⁻ may be accessible to a 500 GeV e⁺e⁻ collider.     

The ΔNγ electromagnetic transition form factors GM(q) and GE(q)

A parameter-free, nonperturbative calculation of the ΔNγ electromagnetic transition amplitudes GM*(q2), GE*(q2), and the resonant multipole ratio REM(q2)≡E1+3/2(q2)/M1+3/2(q2) is performed in terms of the well-known nucleon isovector Sachs form factor GMV. Our methods are fully relativistic with conservation of the electromagnetic current guaranteed. We find that GM*(q2) decreases more rapidly than the nucleon dipole form factor when −q21 GeV2/c2 and that REM(q2) remains small even for very high four-momentum transfer implying that the perturbative QCD prediction REM(q2)→1 is purely asymptotic and is valid only for extremely high |q2|.     

Relative production of vector and pseudoscalar states for light- and heavy-flavour mesons

The relative fractions of vector, V, and pseudoscalar, P, primary mesons produced in and decays, and primary light-flavour mesons produced in fragmentation processes are explained by the hyperfine mass splitting. The difference in corresponding fractions arises from the difference in the constituent quark masses , m_s, m_c and m_b:

The production ratios for strange, charm and beauty mesons evaluated from the ρ/(3π) ratio, measured at LEP for primary produced ρ and π, agree with the results of LEP and lower energy e⁺e⁻ experiments.     

B→ηlν decays and the flavor-singlet form factors

We study semileptonic decays B→η^(′)lν, taking into account the flavor-singlet contribution (F^singlet₊) to the B→η^(′) form factors, which arises from the two-gluon emission in a decaying B meson. It has been recently pointed out that, in addition to large weak annihilation effects, the unknown value of F^singlet₊ prevents accurate theoretical estimates in the analysis of B→η′K decays in QCD factorization. We present a certain method to determine F^singlet₊ with a reasonable accuracy, using B→η^(′)lν and B→πlν decays. We also investigate the possible effect of F^singlet₊ on the estimated branching ratios (BRs) for B→η^(′)lν and find that the BR for B→η′lν is particularly sensitive to the effect of F^singlet₊.     

Precision flavour physics and supersymmetry

We review the salient features of a comparative study of the profile of the CKM unitarity triangle, and the resulting CP-violating phases , β and γ in B decays, in the standard model and in several variants of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), reported recently by us. These theories are characterized by a single phase in the quark flavour mixing matrix and give rise to well-defined contributions in the flavour-changing-neutral-current transitions in K and B decays. We analyse the supersymmetric contributions to the mass differences in the B_d⁰– and B_s⁰– systems, ΔM_d and ΔM_s, respectively, and to the CP-violating quantity || in K decays. Our analysis shows that the predicted ranges of β in the standard model and in MSSM models are very similar. However, precise measurements at B-factories and hadron machines may be able to distinguish these theories in terms of the other two CP-violating phases and γ.     

Saturation and BFKL dynamics in the HERA data at small-x

We show that the HERA data for the inclusive structure function F₂(x,Q²) for x10⁻² and 0.045Q²45 GeV² can be well described within the color dipole picture, with a simple analytic expression for the dipole–proton scattering amplitude, which is an approximate solution to the non-linear evolution equations in QCD. For dipole sizes less than the inverse saturation momentum 1/Q_s(x), the scattering amplitude is the solution to the BFKL equation in the vicinity of the saturation line. It exhibits geometric scaling and scaling violations by the diffusion term. For dipole sizes larger than 1/Q_s(x), the scattering amplitude saturates to one. The fit involves three parameters: the proton radius R, the value x₀ of x at which the saturation scale Q_s equals 1 GeV, and the logarithmic derivative of the saturation momentum λ. The value of λ extracted from the fit turns out to be consistent with a recent calculation using the next-to-leading order BFKL formalism.     

On the NSR formulation of string theory on AdS5×S

We discuss the NSR formulation of the superstring action on AdS₅×S⁵ proposed recently by Kallosh and Tseytlin in the Green-Schwarz formalism. We show that the stress-energy tensor corresponding to the NSR action for AdS superstring contains the branelike terms, corresponding to exotic massless vertex operators (referred to as the branelike vertices)- the 5-form e^φψ_m1ψ_m5 and the 3-form ∂(e^φψ_m1ψ_m3), multiplied by ∂X_m. The corresponding sigma-model action has the manifest SO(1,3)×SO(6) invariance of superstring theory on AdS₅×S⁵. We argue that adding the branelike terms is equivalent to curving the space-time to obtain the AdS₅×S⁵ background. We commence the study of the proposed NSR sigma-model by analyzing the scattering amplitudes involving the branelike vertex operators. The analysis shows quite an unusual momentum dependence of these scattering amplitudes.     

Magnetic properties of the Bi1.95Sr2.05−xLaxCuOy (Bi-2201) superconducting phase

We have investigated the reversible mixed-state magnetization M of three lanthanum substituted Bi_1.95Sr_2.05−xLa_xCuO_y (Bi-2201) ceramic samples having different critical temperatures T_c ranging from 20.0 to 35.5 K. As for the Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ (Bi-2212) phase, we found that anisotropy of Bi-2201 is large. A manifestation of this anisotropy is the field independent magnetization M^* observed at a temperature T^*. In the framework of the London model, and including thermal fluctuations of vortices, we found for the temperature dependence of the penetration depth λ_ab(T) = λ_ab(0)[1 − (T/T_c0)ⁿ]^−1/2, with n 1.7 and λ_ab (T = 0) 4000 Å. The estimated upper critical fields μ₀H_c2,c are of the order of 10 T. We observe a peculiar negative slope M/T at low temperature and sufficiently high external magnetic field. This feature seems to be a characteristic of the Bi-2201 phase. However, we do not know whether it is associated with the superconducting mixed-state. A small amount of magnetic impurities could also be responsible for this behavior. Finally, the behavior of the reversible magnetization of the Bi-2201 samples investigated, which are situated at the optimal and in the overdoped region, did not indicate any unusual temperature dependence for the upper critical field H_c2,c.     

Study of the decay

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a new measurement for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay mode D⁰→K⁺K⁻π⁺π⁻. We measure: Γ(D⁰→K⁺K⁻π⁺π⁻)/Γ(D⁰→K⁻π⁻π⁺π⁺)=0.0295±0.0011±0.0008. An amplitude analysis has been performed in order to determine the resonant substructure of this decay mode. The dominant components are the decays D⁰→K₁(1270)⁺K⁻, D⁰→K₁(1400)⁺K⁻ and D⁰→ρ(770)⁰(1020).     

Electron-muon permutation symmetry and multiplicatively conserved lepton number in gauge theories

The similarity between the weak interactions of electron and muon is extended to the principle that all e and μ interactions in gauge models are invariant under e ↔ μ exchange. This necessitates the existence of two Higgs doublets φ_e and φ_μ, and an extended e ↔ μ permutation invariance. After symmetry-breaking, a multiplicatively conserved “permutation parity” π = ± 1 for all particles naturally emerges, with π_μ = −π_e = 1. The model forbids μ → eγ but predicts e⁻e⁻ → μ⁻μ⁻ mediated by π = −1 Higgs bosons at 10⁻¹¹ times the rate of typical weak cross sections.     

Ising spin glass on a D = 3 hierarchical lattice: Effects of tailed coupling distributions

Within a real-space renormalization-group framework, we approach the cubic lattice through a D = 3 diamond-like hierarchical lattice. The model is a standard, nearest-neighbor, Ising spin glass with coupling constants {J_ij} distributed according to the family of continuous probability distributions P_q(J_ij) ∝ 1/[1 + (q − 1)J_ij²/2J²]^{1/(q − 1)} (if 1 + (q − 1) J_ij²/2J² > 0, and zero otherwise; q ). Such distributions, which arise naturally in the treatment, within the recently proposed nonextensive thermostatistics, of anomalous diffusion, reproduce the usual, Gaussian case, for q → 1. Moreover, they present a second moment J_ij² proportional to (5 − 3q)⁻¹ for q < 5/3, diverging for q ≥ 5/3, but keeping a finite width at midheight. In the limit q → 3, P_q(J_ij) collapses with the abscissa, and so the width at midheight diverges. We compute the q-dependence of the spin-glass critical temperature T_c. We show numerically that T_c does not scale with J_ij^21/2 (contrary to the usual belief), but rather with the width at midheight of P_q(J_ij). Our results suggest that T_c vanishes as −1/q when q → −∞; furthermore, we verified that T_c diverges exponentially when q approaches 3 from below.     

Experimental study of the time-dependent rate of K → πππ

The time-dependence of the decay rate of initially pure K⁰ into the final state (π⁺π⁻π⁰) has been studied in search for the decay k_S⁰→π⁺π⁻π⁰. No evidence is found in a sample of 384 observed events. The ratio of the CP -violating K_S⁰ amplitude and the K_L⁰ amplitude is η₊₋₀ = (0.13_−0.20^+0.17) + i(0.17_−0.26^+0.27); the ratio of the CP-conserving K_S⁰ amplitude and the K_L⁰ amplitude is < 0.4. The energy dependence of the K⁰→π⁺π⁻π⁰ matrix element is found to be a₊₋₀ = −0.31 ± 0.03.