SU(3) - Flavor Symmetry in $B \to VP$ Decays

TL;DR

This paper uses SU(3) flavor symmetry to analyze B meson decays into lighter mesons, deriving constraints on the CKM angle gamma and proposing methods for its measurement, with some constraints being weaker or requiring additional assumptions.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive SU(3) symmetry analysis of B decays into two light mesons, deriving new constraints on gamma and proposing measurement methods.

Findings

Most useful constraint from B0 → Kπ and B+ → π0π+ decays.

No constraints from vector-pseudoscalar decays without additional assumptions.

Proposed methods to measure gamma using B0s → ρπ and B0 → K*±K∓ decays.

Abstract

In the framework of SU(3) symmetry, we present a general analysis of $B$ meson decays into two lighter uncharmed mesons (both pairs of pseudoscalar mesons and pairs of vector and pseudoscalar mesons). From the analysis we find constraints on $\gamma$ and discuss their validity. The most useful new constraint is obtained by considering the decay modes $B^{0} \to K\pi$ and $B^{+} \to \pi^{0}\pi^{+}$. In decays into pairs of vector and pseudeuscalar mesons, no constraints can be obtained using SU(3) symmetry alone and further assumptions are needed. Based on these assumptions, we obtain new (weaker) constraints using $B^{0} \to \rho K/B^{0} \to K^{*}\pi$ and $B^{+} \to \rho\pi$. We show that no other constraints can be obtained. We also suggest a method to measure $\gamma$ using $B^{0}_{s} \to \rho\pi$ and $B^{0} \to K^{*\pm}K^{\mp}$.