Branching Fraction Measurements of Charged B Decays to K*+K+K-, K*+pi+K-, K*+K+pi- and K*+pi+pi- Final States

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of branching fractions and charge asymmetries for specific charmless B+ decays involving K*+ and two hadrons, using data from the BaBar detector, providing new insights into these decay modes.

Contribution

First measurements of branching fractions and asymmetries for B+ decays to K*+ with two hadrons, using a large data sample and maximum likelihood analysis.

Findings

Branching fraction for B+ to K*+ K+ K- is (36.2 ± 3.3 ± 3.6) × 10^{-6}.

Branching fraction for B+ to K*+ π+ π- is (75.3 ± 6.0 ± 8.1) × 10^{-6}.

Charge asymmetries are measured as 0.11 ± 0.08 ± 0.03 and 0.07 ± 0.07 ± 0.04 for the two decay modes.

Abstract

Branching fraction and asymmetry measurements of charmless $B^+\to K^{*+}h^+_1h^-_2$ (where $h_{1,2}$ = $K$, $\pi$) decays are presented, using a data sample of 232 million $\Upsilon(4S) \to$ $BB$ decays collected with the BaBar detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy $B$ factory. Using a maximum likelihood fit, the following branching fraction results were obtained: ${\cal B}$($B^+ \to K^{*+}K^+ K^-)$ = (36.2 $\pm$ 3.3 $\pm$ 3.6) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$ and ${\cal B}$($B^+$ $\to$ $K^{*+}\pi^+\pi^-$) = (75.3 $\pm$ 6.0 $\pm$ 8.1) $\times$ 10$^{-6}$. Upper limits were set for ${\cal B}$($B^+$ $\to$ $K^{*+}\pi^+ K^-$) $<$ 11.8 $\times$ 10$^{-6}$ and ${\cal B}$($B^+$ $\to$ $K^{*+}K^+ \pi^-$) $<$ 6.1 $\times$ 10$^{-6}$ at 90% confidence level. The charge asymmetries for the decays $B^+ \to K^{*+}K^+ K^-$ and $B^+$ $\to$ $K^{*+}\pi^+\pi^-$ were measured to be ${\cal A}_{K^*KK} = 0.11 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.03$ and ${\cal A}_{K^*\pi\pi} = 0.07 \pm 0.07 \pm 0.04$, respectively. The first error quoted on branching fraction and asymmetry measurements is statistical and the second systematic.