We calculate the form factors for the semileptonic decays $B_sto Kell u$ and $Bto Kellell$ with lattice QCD. We work at several lattice spacings and a range of light quark masses, using the MILC 2+1-flavor asqtad ensembles. We use the Fermilab method for the $b$ quark. We obtain chiral-continuum extrapolations for $E_K$ up to $sim1.2$ GeV and then extend to the entire kinematic range with the model-independent $z$ expansion.
Inclusive semileptonic decays of beauty baryons are studied using the heavy quark expansion to ${cal O}(1/m_b^3)$, at leading order in $alpha_s$. The case of a polarized decaying baryon is examined, with reference to $Lambda_b$. An extension of the Standard Model effective Hamiltonian inducing $b to U ell {bar u}_ ell$ transitions ($U=u,,c$ and $ell=e,,mu,,tau$) is considered, which comprises the full set of D=6 semileptonic operators with left-handed neutrinos. The effects of the new operators in several observables are described.
We report on exploratory studies of heavy-light meson semileptonic decays using Asqtad light quarks, NRQCD heavy quarks and Symanzik improved glue on coarse quenched lattices. Oscillatory contributions to three-point correlators coming from the staggered light quarks are found to be handled well by Bayesian fitting methods. B meson decays to both the Goldstone pion and to one of the point-split non-Goldstone pions are investigated. One-loop perturbative matching of NRQCD/Asqtad heavy-light currents is incorporated.
The charm quark has unique properties that make it a very important probe of many facets of the Standard Model. New experimental information on charm decays is becoming available from dedicated experiments at charm factories, and through charm physics programs at the b-factories and hadron machines. In parallel, theorists are working on matrix element calculations based on unquenched lattice QCD, that can be validated by experimental measurements and affect our ultimate knowledge of the quark mixing parameters. Recent predictions are compared with corresponding experimental data and good agreement is found. Charm decays can also provide unique new physics signatures; the status of present searches is reviewed. Finally, charm data relevant for improving beauty decay measurements are presented.
We present the ETMC results for the bag parameters describing the neutral kaon mixing in the Standard Model and beyond and preliminary results for the bag parameters controlling the short distance contributions in the D^0-bar{D}^0 oscillations. We also present preliminary results for the B_{Bd}, B_{Bs}, B_{Bs}/B_{Bd} and xi -parameter controlling B^0_-bar{B}^0 oscillations in the Standard Model employing the so-called ratio method. Using Nf=2 maximally twisted sea quarks and Osterwalder-Seiler valence quarks we achieve both O(a)-improvement and continuum like renormalization pattern. Simulations are performed at three-values of the lattice spacing and several values of quark masses in the light, strange, charm region and above charm up to ~2.5m_c. Our results are extrapolated to the continuum limit and extrapolated/interpolated to the physical quark masses.
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.