Lattice QCD can contribute to the search for new physics in b -> s decays by providing first-principle calculations of B -> K(*) form factors. Preliminary results are presented here which complement sum rule determinations by being done at large q^2 and which improve upon previous lattice calculations by working directly in the physical b sector on unquenched gauge field configurations.
We calculate, for the first time using unquenched lattice QCD form factors, the Standard Model differential branching fractions $dB/dq^2(B to Kll)$ for $l=e, mu, tau$ and compare with experimental measurements by Belle, BABAR, CDF, and LHCb. We report on $mathcal{B}(B to Kll)$ in $q^2$ bins used by experiment and predict $mathcal{B}(B to K tau tau) = (1.44 pm 0.15) 10^{-7}$. We also calculate the ratio of branching fractions $R^mu_e = 1.00023(63)$ and predict $R^tau_l = 1.159(40)$, for $l=e, mu$. Finally, we calculate the flat term in the angular distribution of the differential decay rate $F_H^{e, mu, tau}$ in experimentally motivated $q^2$ bins.
We calculate, for the first time using unquenched lattice QCD, form factors for the rare decay B -> Kll in and beyond the Standard Model. Our lattice QCD calculation utilizes a nonrelativistic QCD formulation for the b valence quarks, the highly improved staggered quark formulation for the light valence quarks, and employs the MILC 2+1 asqtad ensembles. The form factor results, based on the z expansion, are valid over the full kinematic range of q^2. We construct the ratios f0/f+ and fT/f+, which are useful in constraining new physics and verifying effective theory form factor symmetry relations. We also discuss the calculation of Standard Model observables.
Composite dark matter candidates, which can arise from new strongly-coupled sectors, are well-motivated and phenomenologically interesting, particularly in the context of asymmetric generation of the relic density. In this work, we employ lattice calculations to study the electromagnetic form factors of electroweak-neutral dark-matter baryons for a three-color, QCD-like theory with Nf = 2 and 6 degenerate fermions in the fundamental representation. We calculate the (connected) charge radius and anomalous magnetic moment, both of which can play a significant role for direct detection of composite dark matter. We find minimal Nf dependence in these quantities. We generate mass-dependent cross-sections for dark matter-nucleon interactions and use them in conjunction with experimental results from XENON100, excluding dark matter candidates of this type with masses below 10 TeV.
We extract the form factors relevant for semileptonic decays of D and B mesons from a relativistic computation on a fine lattice in the quenched approximation. The lattice spacing is a=0.04 fm (corresponding to a^{-1}=4.97 GeV), which allows us to run very close to the physical B meson mass, and to reduce the systematic errors associated with the extrapolation in terms of a heavy quark expansion. For decays of D and D_s mesons, our results for the physical form factors at q^2=0 are as follows: f_+^{D to pi}(0)= 0.74(6)(4), f_+^{D to K}(0)= 0.78(5)(4) and f_+^{D_s to K}(0)=0.68(4)(3). Similarly, for B and B_s we find: f_+^{B to pi}(0)=0.27(7)(5), f_+^{B to K}(0)=0.32(6)(6) and f_+^{B_s to K}(0)=0.23(5)(4). We compare our results with other quenched and unquenched lattice calculations, as well as with light-cone sum rule predictions, finding good agreement.
We calculate, in the continuum limit of quenched lattice QCD, the matrix elements of the heavy-heavy vector current between heavy-light pseudoscalar meson states. We present the form factors for different values of the initial and final meson masses at finite momentum transfer. In particular, we calculate the non-perturbative correction to the differential decay rate of the process B --> D l nu including the case of a non-vanishing lepton mass.