Radiative Penguin Decays of B Mesons: Measurements of B -> K* gamma, B -> K2*(1430) gamma, and Search for B0 -> phi gamma

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of radiative penguin decays of B mesons, including branching fractions and asymmetries, and searches for rare decay modes, providing insights into potential new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

First comprehensive measurements of B -> K* gamma, B -> K2*(1430) gamma, and a search for B0 -> phi gamma using BaBar data, probing for signs of new physics.

Findings

Measured branching fractions and isospin asymmetry for B -> K* gamma.

Determined branching fractions for B -> K2*(1430) gamma.

Conducted a search for B0 -> phi gamma with no significant signal.

Abstract

Electromagnetic radiative penguin decays of the B meson were studied with the BaBar detector at SLAC's PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory. Branching fractions and isospin asymmetry of the decay B -> K* gamma, branching fractions of B -> K2*(1430) gamma, and a search for B0 -> phi gamma are presented. The decay rates may be enhanced by contributions from non-standard model processes.