Exclusive semileptonic heavy meson decays including lepton mass effects

We discuss the exclusive semi-leptonic (s.l.) bottom meson decaysB→D(D ^*)+l+v where we include non-zero lepton mass effects in the kinematics and dynamics. We develop the general formalism for the non-zero lepton mass case. We then look at how rates, spectra and angular correlations are affected by non-zero lepton masses in the context of a specific spectator quark model. Numerical results are presented for s.l. decays involving thee-, μ- and τ-leptons. We also discuss the s.l. decaysB→π(ρ),D→K(K ^*) and the free quark decay model.     

Constraining neutrino superluminality from searches for sterile neutrino decays

Superluminal neutrinos are expected to lose energy due to bremsstrahlung. It is dominated by e⁺e⁻$e^{+}{e}^{-}$-pair production if kinematically allowed. The same signature was used in searches for 3-body decays of hypothetical heavy sterile neutrinos. From the published analyses of these searches performed by CERN PS191 and CHARM experiments we set upper limits on the neutrino velocity in the energy range from 0.2 GeV to 280 GeV. Our limits are well below the neutrino velocity favored by the recent OPERA results. For energy-independent neutrino velocity the limits obtained in this Letter are stronger than those coming from ICARUS experiment and observations of Supernova SN1987a.     

Determination of |Vub| from measurements of the electron and neutrino momenta in inclusive semileptonic B decays

We present a determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |Vub| based on the analysis of semileptonic B decays from a sample of 88 x 10(6) Gamma(4S) decays collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II e+e- storage ring. Charmless semileptonic B decays are selected using measurements of the electron energy and the invariant mass squared of the electron-neutrino pair. We obtain |Vub| =(3.95 +/- 0.26(+0.58)(-0.42) +/- 0.25) x 10(-3), where the errors represent experimental uncertainties, heavy quark parameter uncertainties, and theoretical uncertainties, respectively.     

An upper limit on the tau neutrino mass from leptonic tau decays

The partial width of the τ → e ^- v _e v _τ can be calculated from the tau mass, lifetime and branching ratio. The increasing precision on these measurements is making the partial width sensitive to the mass of the tau neutrino. We present the tau neutrino mass dependence on the partial width and show that this leads to a limit of m _r < 71 MeV at the 95% confidence level. We show that the limit is determined by the uncertainty in the tau lifetime and τ → e?v _e v _τ branching ratio. Additional measurements of these values are expected in the next few years and we show that the limit could become competitive with the direct measurements.     

Bag models and semileptonic decays

Starting from different versions of the bag model, we compute the different amplitudes relevant for weak interaction transition elements in semileptonic decays. It seems that such models might be quite accurate in describing observations.     

Inclusive semileptonic decays of B mesons

The probability of inclusive semileptonic decay of B mesons is calculated in the constituent-quark model. A compact formula is obtained for the differential decay width of a B meson in terms of the corresponding decay width of a free b quark and the wave function of the internal motion of the quarks in the B meson. Numerical values of semileptonic-decay widths are obtained for a series of models of the wave function. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 10, 734–737 (25 May 1997)     

Fast invisible neutrino decays

Any value for the lifetime of neutrinos decaying into invisible modes (another neutrino and a Goldstone boson) is possible in theories in which the lepton number is a spontaneously broken global symmetry with different charges for every family. There are two types of models. Only in one of them neutrinos could, in a natural way, be relevant for cosmology.     

Determinations of from inclusive semileptonic decays with reduced model dependence

We report two novel determinations of /|Vub/ with reduced model dependence, based on measurements of the mass distribution of the hadronic system in semileptonic B decays. Events are selected by fully reconstructing the decay of one B meson and identifying a charged lepton from the decay of the other B meson from Upsilon(4S)-->BB events. In one approach, we combine the inclusive B-->Xulambdav rate, integrated up to a maximum hadronic mass mX<1.67 GeV/c2, with a measurement of the inclusive B-->Xsgamma photon energy spectrum. We obtain /Vub/=(4.43+/-0.38stat+/-0.25syst+/-0.29theo) x 10-3. In another approach we measure the total B-->Xulambdav rate over the full phase space and find /Vub/=(3.84+/-0.70stat+/-0.30syst+/-0.10theo) x 10-3.     

Exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons

Exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons provide interesting information on systems consisting of quarks of unequal mass. We express the formfactors of the hadronic current in terms of relativistic bound state wave functions for which we take the solutions of a relativistic harmonic oscillator potential. The wave function overlap is determined by the quark mass dependent longitudinal momentum distribution and differs from results based on non relativistic wave functions. The semileptonic widths and lepton spectra are calculated using in addition nearest pole dominance for the momentum transfer dependence of the formfactors. We compare our results with recent experimental data. The formfactor calculation also allows an estimate of special nonleptonic transitions. From the CLEO results on \(\bar B^0 \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ -\) and \(\bar B^0 \to D^{* + } + \pi ^ -\) we find for the corresponding Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element ratio the limit |V _ub /V _cb |?0.3.     

Limitation on scalar neutrino masses from Tau decay

The apparent absence of the decay $\text{τ →}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{\tau }}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{?}}{}^1\text{?,}\text{where}\text{? =}\text{e or}\text{μ}\text{and}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{i}}$ is the spin-zero supersymmetric partner of ν_i, implies that the $\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{i}}$ masses are sufficiently large that the decay is suppressed (assuming the supersymmetric partners exist). We give the resulting limits, which depend on the mass of the W? (the supersymmetric partner of the W) which mediates the decay, and on whether one or both $\text{ν}$ is massive. These are the only experimental limits on $\text{ν}$ masses.     

Tau decays into kaons

Predictions for semi-leptonic decay rates of theτ lepton into two meson final statesK ^?π⁰ v _τ, $\overline {K^0 } \pi - v_\tau $ ,K ⁰ K ^? v _τ, and three meson final statesK ^?π^? K ⁺ v _τ, $K^0 \pi ^ - \overline {K^0 } v_\tau $ ,K _sπ^? K _s v _τ,K _sπ^? K _L v _τ,K _Lπ^? K _L v _τ,K ^?π⁰ K ⁰ v _τ, π⁰π⁰ K ^? v _τ,K ^?π^?π⁺ v _τ, π^? K ⁰π⁰ v _τ are derived. The hadronic matrix elements are expressed in terms of form factors, which can be predicted by chiral Lagrangians supplemented by informations about all possible low-lying resonances in the different channels. Isospin symmetry relations among the different final states are carefully taken into account. The calculated branching ratios are compared with measured decay rates where data are available.