Relativistic description of the semileptonic decays of bottom mesons

TL;DR

This paper calculates form factors for semileptonic bottom meson decays using a relativistic quark model, providing detailed predictions for decay rates and asymmetries without relying on extrapolations or heavy quark expansions.

Contribution

It offers a relativistic, model-independent calculation of form factors across the entire kinematic range, with analytic expressions and comprehensive decay predictions.

Findings

Form factors accurately reproduce numerical results.

Predictions align with lattice QCD and experimental data.

Differential distributions differ notably from other models.

Abstract

The form factors of the semileptonic $B$, $B_s$ and $B_c$ meson decays are calculated in the framework of the relativistic quark model based on the quasipotential approach in QCD. They are expressed through the overlap integrals of the meson wave function. All relativistic effects are consistently taken into account. The momentum transfer $q^2$ behavior of form factors is determined in the whole accessible kinematical range. We do not use any extrapolations, heavy quark $1/m_Q$ expansion or model assumptions about the shape of form factors. Convenient analytic expressions of the form factors are given, which very accurately reproduce the numerical results of our calculation. On the basis of these form factors and helicity formalism, the differential and total branching fractions of various semileptonic decays of bottom meson are calculated. The mean values of the forward-backward asymmetry $\langle A_{FB}\rangle$, lepton-side convexity parameter $\langle C^\ell_{F}\rangle$, longitudinal $\langle P^\ell_{L}\rangle$ and transverse $\langle P^\ell_{T}\rangle$ polarization of the charged lepton, and the longitudinal polarization fraction $\langle F_{L}\rangle$ for final-state vector meson are also evaluated. We present a detailed comparison of the obtained predictions with the calculations based on the covariant light-front quark model and confront them to available lattice QCD and experimental data. It is found that although both models predict close values of the total branching fractions, the differential distributions and forward-backward asymmetry and polarization parameters differ significantly, especially for the heavy-to-light semileptonic decays. We identify observables which measurement can help to discriminate between models.