Semileptonic $B_c$ meson decays to S-wave charmonium states

TL;DR

This paper analyzes semileptonic $B_c$ meson decays to S-wave charmonium states using a relativistic quark model, predicting form factors, branching ratios, and polarization ratios that can be tested in experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a relativistic independent quark model with a scalar-vector harmonic potential to compute form factors and decay properties of $B_c$ to S-wave charmonium states, providing new quantitative predictions.

Findings

Predicted large branching ratios (~10^{-2}) for ground state transitions.

Established the hierarchy of branching ratios among different charmonium states.

Found that $B_c$ decays predominantly occur in transverse polarization mode.

Abstract

We study the semileptonic decays of $B_c$ meson to S-wave charmonium states in the framework of relativistic independent quark model based on an average flavor-independent confining potential $U(r)$ in the scalar-vector harmonic form $U(r)=\frac{1}{2}(1+\gamma^0)(ar^2+V_0)$, where ($a$, $V_0$) are the potential parameters.The form factors for $B_c^+\to \eta_c /\psi e^+\nu_e$ transitions are studied in the physical kinematic range. Our predicted branching ratios (BR) for transitions to ground state charmonia are found comparatively large $\sim $ $10^{-2}$, compared to those for transitions to radially excited 2S and 3S states. Like all other mpdel predictions, our predicted BR are obtained in the hierarchy: BR($B_c^+\to \eta_c /\psi (3S)$) $<$ BR($B_c^+\to \eta_c/ \psi (2S)$) $<$ BR($B_c^+\to \eta_c /\psi (1S)$). The longitudinal ($\Gamma_L$) and transverse polarization ($\Gamma_T$) for $B_c \to \psi(ns)$ decay modes are predicted in the small and large $q^2$ - region as well as in the whole physical region. The ratios for such transitions are obtained $\frac {\Gamma_L}{\Gamma_T} < 1$ throughout the kinematic range which means the $B_c^+$ meson transitions to vector meson charmonium states take place predominantly in transverse polarization mode. The theoretical predictions on these transitions could be tested in the on-going and forthcoming experiments at LHCb.