Resolving B-CP Puzzles in QCD Factorization

TL;DR

This paper addresses discrepancies in CP asymmetry predictions in B meson decays within QCD factorization by incorporating subleading power corrections, leading to improved agreement with experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces subleading $1/m_b$ power corrections to the color-suppressed tree amplitude, resolving sign conflicts in CP asymmetry predictions in QCDF.

Findings

Corrected signs for CP asymmetries in key B decay modes.

Simultaneous explanation of $ ho^0 ext{ } ho^0$ and $ ho^0 ext{ } ho^0$ decay rates.

Enhanced agreement between theory and experiment in B meson decay predictions.

Abstract

Within the framework of QCD factorization (QCDF), power corrections due to penguin annihilation can account for the observed rates of penguin-dominated two-body decays of $B$ mesons and direct CP asymmetries $A_{CP}(K^-\pi^+)$, $A_{CP}(K^{*-}\pi^+)$, $A_{CP}(K^-\rho^0)$ and $A_{CP}(\pi^+\pi^-)$. However, the predicted direct CP-violating effects in QCDF for $B^-\to K^-\pi^0,K^-\eta,\pi^-\eta$ and $\bar B^0\to\pi^0\pi^0$ are wrong in signs when confronted with experiment. We show that subleading $1/m_b$ power corrections to the color-suppressed tree amplitude due to spectator scattering or final-state interactions will yield correct signs for aforementioned CP asymmetries and accommodate the observed $\pi^0\pi^0$ and $\rho^0\pi^0$ rates simultaneously. Implications are discussed.