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We study $B_d$ and $B_s$ mixing in unquenched lattice QCD employing the MILC collaboration gauge configurations that include u, d, and s sea quarks based on the improved staggered quark (AsqTad) action and a highly improved gluon action. We implement the valence light quarks also with the AsqTad action and use the nonrelativistic NRQCD action for the valence b quark. We calculate hadronic matrix elements necessary for extracting CKM matrix elements from experimental measurements of mass differences $Delta M_d$ and $Delta M_s$. We find $xi = f_{B_s} sqrt{hat{B}_{B_s}} / f_{B_d} sqrt{hat{B}_{B_d}} = 1.258(33)$, $f_{B_d} sqrt{hat{B}_{B_d}} = 216(15)$ MeV and $f_{B_s} sqrt{hat{B}_{B_s}} = 266(18)$ MeV. We also update previous results for decay constants and obtain $f_{B_d} = 190(13)$ MeV, $f_{B_s} = 231(15)$ MeV and $f_{B_s}/f_{B_d} = 1.226(26)$. The new lattice results lead to updated values for the ratio of CKM matrix elements $|V_{td}|/|V_{ts}|$ and for the Standard Model prediction for $Br(B_s rightarrow mu^+ mu^-)$ with reduced errors. We determine $|V_{td}|/|V_{ts}| = 0.214(1)(5)$ and $Br(B_s rightarrow mu^+ mu^-) = 3.19(19) times 10^{-9}$.
The semileptonic process, B --> pi l u, is studied via full QCD Lattice simulations. We use unquenched gauge configurations generated by the MILC collaboration. These include the effect of vacuum polarization from three quark flavors: the $s$ quark and two very light flavors ($u/d$) of variable mass allowing extrapolations to the physical chiral limit. We employ Nonrelativistic QCD to simulate the $b$ quark and a highly improved staggered quark action for the light sea and valence quarks. We calculate the form factors $f_+(q^2)$ and $f_0(q^2)$ in the chiral limit for the range 16 GeV$^2 leq q^2 < q^2_{max}$ and obtain $int^{q^2_{max}}_{16 GeV^2} [dGamma/dq^2] dq^2 / |v_{ub}|^2 = 1.46(35) ps^{-1}$. Combining this with a preliminary average by the Heavy Flavor Averaging Group (HFAG05) of recent branching fraction data for exclusive B semileptonic decays from the BaBar, Belle and CLEO collaborations, leads to $|V_{ub}| = 4.22(30)(51) times 10^{-3}$. PLEASE NOTE APPENDIX B with an ERRATUM, to appear in Physical Review D, to the published version of this e-print (Phys.Rev.D 73, 074502 (2006)). Results for the form factor $f_+(q^2)$ in the chiral limit have changed significantly. The last two sentences in this abstract should now read; We calculate the form factor $f_+(q^2)$ and $f_0(q^2)$ in the chiral limit for the range 16 Gev$^2 leq q^2 < q^2_{max}$ and obtain $int^{q^2_{max}}_{16 GeV^2} [dGamma/dq^2] dq^2 / |V_{ub}|^2 = 2.07(57)ps^{-1}$. Combining this with a preliminary average by the Heavy Flavor Averagibg Group (HFAG05) of recent branching fraction data for exclusive B semileptonic decays from the BaBar, Belle and CLEO collaborations, leads to $|V_{ub}| = 3.55(25)(50) times 10^{-3}$.
We determine hadronic matrix elements relevant for the mass and width differences, $Delta M_s$ & $Delta Gamma_s$ in the $B^0_s - bar{B^0_s}$ meson system using fully unquenched lattice QCD. We employ the MILC collaboration gauge configurations that include $u$, $d$ and $s$ sea quarks using the improved staggered quark (AsqTad) action and a highly improved gluon action. We implement the valence $s$ quark also with the AsqTad action and use Nonrelativistic QCD for the valence $b$ quark. For the nonperturbative QCD input into the Standard Model expression for $Delta M_s$ we find $f_{B_s} sqrt{hat{B}_{B_s}} = 0.281(21)$GeV. Results for four-fermion operator matrix elements entering Standard Model formulas for $Delta Gamma_s$ are also presented.
We calculate the bag parameters for neutral $B$-meson mixing in and beyond the Standard Model, in full four-flavour lattice QCD for the first time. We work on gluon field configurations that include the effect of $u$, $d$, $s$ and $c$ sea quarks with the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action at three values of the lattice spacing and with three $u/d$ quark masses going down to the physical value. The valence $b$ quarks use the improved NRQCD action and the valence light quarks, the HISQ action. Our analysis was blinded. Our results for the bag parameters for all five operators are the most accurate to date. For the Standard Model operator between $B_s$ and $B_d$ mesons we find: $hat{B}_{B_s}=1.232(53)$, $hat{B}_{B_d}=1.222(61)$. Combining our results with lattice QCD calculations of the decay constants using HISQ quarks from the Fermilab/MILC collaboration and with experimental values for $B_s$ and $B_d$ oscillation frequencies allows determination of the CKM elements $V_{ts}$ and $V_{td}$. We find $V_{ts} = 0.04189(93)$, $V_{td} = 0.00867(23)$ and $V_{ts}/V_{td} = 0.2071(27)$. Our results agree well (within $2sigma$) with values determined from CKM unitarity constraints based on tree-level processes (only). Using a ratio to $Delta M$ in which CKM elements cancel in the Standard Model, we determine the branching fractions ${text{Br}}(B_srightarrow mu^+mu^-) = 3.81(18) times 10^{-9}$ and ${text{Br}}(B_drightarrow mu^+mu^-) = 1.031(54) times 10^{-10}$. We also give results for matrix elements of the operators $R_0$, $R_1$ and $tilde{R}_1$ that contribute to neutral $B$-meson width differences.
We report on the status of our calculation of the hadronic matrix elements for neutral $B$-meson mixing with asqtad sea and valence light quarks and using the Wilson clover action with the Fermilab interpretation for the $b$ quark. We calculate the matrix elements of all five local operators that contribute to neutral $B$-meson mixing both in and beyond the Standard Model. We use MILC ensembles with $N_f=2+1$ dynamical flavors at four different lattice spacings in the range $a approx 0.045$--$0.12$~fm, and with light sea-quark masses as low as 0.05 times the physical strange quark mass. We perform a combined chiral-continuum extrapolation including the so-called wrong-spin contributions in simultaneous fits to the matrix elements of the five operators. We present a complete systematic error budget and conclude with an outlook for obtaining final results from this analysis.
We present results for neutral D-meson mixing in 2+1-flavor lattice QCD. We compute the matrix elements for all five operators that contribute to D mixing at short distances, including those that only arise beyond the Standard Model. Our results have an uncertainty similar to those of the ETM collaboration (with 2 and with 2+1+1 flavors). This work shares many features with a recent publication on B mixing and with ongoing work on heavy-light decay constants from the Fermilab Lattice and MILC Collaborations.