Axial-vector mesons from $\tau\to AP\nu_\tau$ decays

TL;DR

This paper calculates the branching ratios of semileptonic tau decays producing axial-vector mesons and pseudoscalar mesons, predicting measurable rates for several channels using a meson dominance model.

Contribution

It provides theoretical predictions for branching ratios of $ au$ decays into axial-vector and pseudoscalar mesons, which were not previously quantified.

Findings

Certain decay channels have branching ratios around 10^{-3} to 10^{-4}.

Some channels have very small branching ratios around 10^{-6}.

Results suggest these decays could be observed experimentally.

Abstract

Axial-vector mesons $a_1(1260)$, $f_1(1285)$, $h_1(1170)$, $K_1(1270)$, and $K_1(1400)$ can be produced in semileptonic $\tau\to A P \nu_{\tau}$ decays, where $P$ stands for the pseudoscalar mesons $\pi$ or $K$. We calculate the branching ratios based in a meson dominance model. The exclusive channels $\tau^-\to a_1(1260)^-\pi^0\nu$, $\tau^-\to a_1(1260)^0\pi^-\nu$, and $\tau^-\to h_1(1170)\pi^-\nu$ turn out to be of order ${\cal O}(10^{-3})$, the channel $\tau^-\to f_1(1285)\pi^-\nu$ of order ${\cal O}(10^{-4})$, and channels $\tau^-\to K_1(1270)^-\pi^0\nu$, $\tau^-\to K_1(1270)^0\pi^-\nu$, $\tau^-\to K_1(1400)^-\pi^0\nu$, and $\tau^-\to K_1(1400)^0\pi^-\nu$ of order ${\cal O}(10^{-6})$. These results indicate that the branching ratios could be measured in experiments.