Study of high momentum eta' production in B --> eta'Xs

We measure the branching fraction for the charmless semi-inclusive process B --> eta'Xs, where the eta' meson has a momentum in the range 2.0 to 2.7 GeV/c in the upsilon4S center-of-mass frame and Xs represents a system comprising a kaon and zero to four pions. We find B(B --> eta'Xs) = [3.9 +/- 0.8(stat) +/- 0.5(syst) +/- 0.8(model)] x 10(-4). We also obtain the Xs mass spectrum and find that it fits models predicting high masses.     

Limits on the decay-rate difference of neutral B mesons and on CP, T, and CPT violation in B(0-0)B oscillations

Using events in which one of two neutral B mesons from the decay of an Upsilon(4S) meson is fully reconstructed, we determine parameters governing decay (DeltaGamma(d)/Gamma(d)), CP, and T violation (|q/p|), and CP and CPT violation (Re z,Im z). The results, obtained from an analysis of 88 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S) decays recorded by BABAR, are sgn(Re lambda(CP))DeltaGamma(d)/Gamma(d)=-0.008+/-0.037(stat)+/-0.018(syst)[-0.084,0.068],|q/p|=1.029+/-0.013(stat)+/-0.011(syst)[1.001,1.057],(Re lambda(CP)/|lambda(CP)|) Re z=0.014+/-0.035(stat)+/-0.034(syst)[-0.072,0.101],Im z=0.038+/-0.029(stat)+/-0.025(syst)[-0.028,0.104]. The values inside the square brackets indicate the 90% confidence-level intervals. These results are consistent with standard model expectations.     

Search for the radiative decays B-->rhogamma and B0-->omegagamma

A search of the exclusive radiative decays B-->rho(770)gamma and B0-->omega(782)gamma is performed on a sample of about 84x10(6) BBmacr; events collected by the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- storage ring. No significant signal is seen in any of the channels. We set upper limits on the branching fractions B of B(B0-->rho(0)gamma)<1.2 x 10(-6), B(B+-->rho+gamma)<2.1 x 10(-6), and B(B0-->omegagamma)<1.0 x 10(-6) at 90% confidence level (C.L.). Using the assumption that Gamma(B-->rhogamma)=Gamma(B+-->rho(+)gamma)=2 x Gamma(B0-->rho(0)gamma), we find the combined limit B(B-->rhogamma)<1.9 x 10(-6), corresponding to B(B-->rhogamma)/B(B-->K*gamma)<0.047 at 90% C.L.     

Natural product based inhibitors of the thioredoxin-thioredoxin reductase system

Spiroketal naphthodecalins are readily assembled by Barton's base mediated Ullmann binaphthyl ether coupling, Dakin reactions and hypervalent iodine spirocyclization. The core structures can be further diversified by enone addition and Stille coupling reactions. Nanomolar inhibitors for the Trx/TrxR redox control system were prepared by this approach and compared to series of natural product isolates. Cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cell assays ranged from an IC50 of 1.6 to >100 microM.     

Study of the decay B0(B- 0)-->rho+rho-, and constraints on the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa angle alpha

Using a data sample of 89 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BB decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B Factory at SLAC, we measure the B0(B (0))-->rho(+)rho(-) branching fraction as [30+/-4(stat)+/-5(syst)]x10(-6) and a longitudinal polarization fraction of f(L)=0.99+/-0.03(stat)+0.04-0.03(syst). We measure the time-dependent-asymmetry parameters of the longitudinally polarized component of this decay as C(L)=-0.17+/-0.27(stat)+/-0.14(syst) and S(L)=-0.42+/-0.42(stat)+/-0.14(syst). We exclude values of alpha between 19 degrees and 71 degrees (90% C.L.).     

Searches for B0 decays to combinations of two charmless isoscalar mesons

We search for B meson decays into two-body combinations of eta, eta', omega, and phi mesons from 89 x 10(6) BB pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at SLAC. We find the branching fraction B(B0-->etaomega)=(4.0(+1.3)(-1.2)+/-0.4)x10(-6) with a significance of 4.3 sigma. For the other decay modes we set the following 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions, in units of 10(-6): B(B0-->etaeta)<2.8, B(B0-->etaeta')<4.6, B(B0-->eta'eta')<10, B(B0-->eta'omega)<2.8, B(B0-->etaphi)<1.0, B(B0-->eta'phi)<4.5, and B(B0-->phiphi)<1.5.     

Measurement of the B-->Xsl+l- branching fraction with a sum over exclusive modes

We measure the branching fraction for the flavor-changing neutral-current process B-->X(s)l(+)l(-) with a sample of 89x10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BBmacr; events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e(+)e(-) storage ring. The final state is reconstructed from e(+)e(-) or micro(+)micro(-) pairs and a hadronic system X(s) consisting of one K+/- or K(0)(S) and up to two pions, with at most one pi(0). We observe a signal of 40+/-10(stat)+/-2(syst) events and extract the inclusive branching fraction B(B-->X(s)l(+)l(-))=(5.6+/-1.5(stat)+/-0.6(exp syst)+/-1.1(model syst))x10(-6) for ml(+)(l(-))>0.2 GeV/c(2).     

Measurement of the inclusive charmless semileptonic branching ratio of B mesons and determination of |V ub|

We report a measurement of the inclusive charmless semileptonic branching fraction of B mesons in a sample of 89 x 10(6) (-)BB events recorded with the BABAR detector at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. 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. The number of signal events is extracted from the mass distribution of the hadronic system accompanying the lepton and is used to determine the ratio of branching fractions B((-)B-->X(u)lnu;)/B((-)B-->Xlnu;)=[2.06+/-0.25(stat)+/-0.23(syst)+/-0.36(theo)]x10(-2). Using the measured branching fraction for inclusive semileptonic B decays, we find B((-)B-->X(u)lnu;)=[2.24+/-0.27(stat)+/-0.26(syst)+/-0.39(theo)]x10(-3) and derive the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V(ub)|=[4.62+/-0.28(stat)+/-0.27(syst)+/-0.48(theo)]x10(-3).     

Observation of the decay B+/--->pi+/-pi0, study of B+/--->K+/-pi0, and search for B0-->pi0pi0

We present results for the branching fractions and charge asymmetries in B+/--->h(+/-)pi(0) (where h(+/-)=pi(+/-),K+/-) and a search for the decay B0-->pi(0)pi(0) using a sample of approximately 88 x 10(6) BBmacr; pairs collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. We measure B(B+/--->pi(+/-)pi(0))=(5.5(+1.0)(-0.9)+/-0.6)x10(-6), where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. The B+/--->pi(+/-)pi(0) signal has a significance of 7.7sigma including systematic uncertainties. We simultaneously measure the K+/-pi(0) branching fraction to be B(B+/--->K+/-pi(0))=(12.8(+1.2)(-1.1)+/-1.0)x10(-6). The charge asymmetries are Api(+/-)(pi(0))=-0.03(+0.18)(-0.17)+/-0.02 and AK+/-(pi(0))=-0.09+/-0.09+/-0.01. We place a 90% confidence-level upper limit on the branching fraction B(B0-->pi(0)pi(0)) of 3.6 x 10(-6).     

Evidence for the rare decay B-->K*l+l- and measurement of the B-->Kl+l- branching fraction

We present evidence for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B-->K*l+l- and a measurement of the branching fraction for the related process B-->K l+l-, where l+l- is either an epsilon+epsilon- or a mu+mu- pair. These decays are highly suppressed in the standard model, and they are sensitive to contributions from new particles in the intermediate state. The data sample comprises 123 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->B(-)B decays collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II epsilon+epsilon- storage ring. Averaging over K(*) isospin and lepton flavor, we obtain the branching fractions B(B-->Kl+l-)=(0.65(+0.14)(-0.13)+/-0.04)x10(-6) and B(B-->K*l+l-)=(0.88(+0.33)(-0.29)+/-0.10)x10(-6), where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The significance of the B-->Kl+l- signal is over 8sigma, while for B-->K*l+l- it is 3.3sigma.