Measurement of the branching fractions for $B^0 \to D_s^{*+}\pi^-$ and $B^0 \to D_s^{*-}K^+$ decays

TL;DR

This study measures the branching fractions of specific B meson decays involving D_s^* and pi/K, providing the most precise values to date and insights into decay amplitude ratios.

Contribution

It presents the first precise measurements of B^0 decays to D_s^*+/- pi/K and determines the amplitude ratio R_{D^* au} with improved accuracy.

Findings

Branching fractions measured with high significance.

Most precise determination of R_{D^* au} to date.

Results support theoretical models of B meson decays.

Abstract

We present a study of $B^0 \to D_s^{*+}\pi^-$ and $B^0 \to D_s^{*-}K^+$ decays based on a sample of $657 \times 10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ events collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. We measure the branching fractions to be $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D_s^{*+} \pi^-) = (1.75 \pm 0.34 \pm 0.17 \pm 0.11) \times 10^{-5}$ and $\mathcal{B}(B^0 \to D_s^{*-} K^+) = (2.02 \pm 0.33 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.13) \times 10^{-5}, with significances of 6.1 and 8.0 standard deviations, respectively. The first uncertainty is statistical, the second is due to the experimental systematics, and the third is from uncertainties in the $D_s^+$ decay branching fractions. From our measurements, we obtain the most precise determination so far of $R_{D^*\pi}$, where $R_{D^*\pi}$ is the ratio between amplitudes of the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decay $B^0 \to D^{*+}\pi^-$ and the Cabibbo favored $B^0 \to D^{*-}\pi^+$ decay.