Measurements of the B -> X_s gamma Branching Fraction and Photon Spectrum from a Sum of Exclusive Final States

TL;DR

This paper measures the B -> X_s gamma branching fraction, photon spectrum, and related parameters using data from BaBar, providing results consistent with previous measurements and useful for CKM matrix element extractions.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive measurement of the inclusive B -> X_s gamma branching fraction, photon spectrum, and heavy-quark parameters from a sum of exclusive states, improving precision and consistency.

Findings

Branching fraction BF (b -> s gamma) = (3.27 +/- 0.18 (stat.) +0.55/-0.40 (syst.) +0.04/-0.09 (theory)) x 10^-4

Isospin asymmetry Delta_0- = -0.006 +/- 0.058 (stat.) +/- 0.009 (syst.) +/- 0.024 (B^0bar / B^-)

Heavy-quark parameters m_b and mu_pi^2 are consistent with semileptonic decay results.

Abstract

Using 88.9 million BB events collected by the BaBar detector at the Y(4S), we measure the branching fraction for the radiative penguin process B -> X_s gamma from the sum of 38 exclusive final states. The inclusive branching fraction above a minimum photon energy E_gamma > 1.9 GeV is BF (b -> s gamma) = (3.27 +/- 0.18 (stat.) +0.55/-0.40 (syst.) +0.04/-0.09 (theory)) 10^-4. We also measure the isospin asymmetry between B^- -> X_s ubar gamma and B^0bar -> X_s dbar gamma to be Delta_0- = -0.006 +/- 0.058 (stat.) +/- 0.009 (syst.) +/- 0.024 (B^0bar / B^-). The photon energy spectrum is measured in the B rest frame, from which moments are derived for different values of the minimum photon energy. We present fits to the photon spectrum and moments which give the heavy-quark parameters m_b and mu_pi^2. The fitted parameters are consistent with those obtained from semileptonic B -> X_c l nu decays, and are useful inputs for the extraction of Vub from measurements of semileptonic B -> X_u l nu decays.