No Arabic abstract
Ratios of branching fractions of semileptonic B decays, $(B to H mu mu)$ over $(B to H ee)$ with $H=K, K^*,X_s, K_0(1430), phi, ldots$ are sensitive probes of lepton universality. In the Standard Model, the underlying flavor changing neutral current process $brightarrow s ell ell$ is lepton flavor universal. However models with new flavor violating physics above the weak scale can give substantial non-universal contributions. The leading contributions from such new physics can be parametrized by effective dimension six operators involving left- or right-handed quarks. We show that in the double ratios $R_{X_s}/R_K$, $R_{K^*}/R_K$ and $R_phi/R_K$ the dependence on new physics coupling to left-handed quarks cancels out. Thus a measurement of any of these double ratios is a clean probe of flavor nonuniversal physics coupling to right-handed quarks. We also point out that the observables $R_{X_s}$, $R_{K^*}$, $R_{K_0(1430)}$ and $R_phi$ depend on the same combination of Wilson coefficients and therefore satisfy simple consistency relations.
Recently the LHCb collaboration has confirmed the evidence for lepton flavour nonuniversality at the $3.1sigma$ level via an updated measurement of $R_K$. In this work we analyse this evidence within a model-independent approach. We make projections for future measurements which indicate that LHCb will be in the position to discover lepton nonuniversality with the Run 3 data in a single observable. We analyse other ratios based on our analysis of the present measurements of the ratios $R_{K^{(*)}}$ and analyse if they are able to differentiate between various new physics options within the effective field theory at present or in the near future. We also compare the present deviations in the ratios with NP indications in the angular observables of exclusive $b to s ellell$ transitions. Finally, we update our global analysis considering all $b to s ellell$ observables altogether, including a 20-parameter fit in connection of a Wilks test.
Rare semileptonic $b to s ell^+ ell^-$ transitions provide some of the most promising frameworks to search for new physics effects. Recent analyses of these decays have indicated an anomalous behaviour in measurements of angular distributions of the decay $B^0to K^*mu^+mu^-$ and lepton-flavour-universality observables. Unambiguously establishing if these deviations have a common nature is of paramount importance in order to understand the observed pattern. We propose a novel approach to independently and complementary probe this hypothesis by performing a simultaneous amplitude analysis of $bar{B}^0 to bar{K}^{*0} mu^+mu^-$ and $bar{B}^0 to bar{K}^{*0} e^+e^-$ decays. This method enables the direct determination of observables that encode potential non-equal couplings of muons and electrons, and are found to be insensitive to nonperturbative QCD effects. If current hints of new physics are confirmed, our approach could allow an early discovery of physics beyond the standard model with LHCb run II data sets.
A novel approach to reconstruct inclusive $bar{B} to X_{s} ell^{+}ell^{-}$ decays is presented. The method relies on isopsin symmetry to extrapolate the semi-inclusive signature $X_{b}to K^{+} ell^{+}ell^{-} X$ to the fully inclusive rate in $B^{+}$ and $B^{0}$ decays. We investigate the possibility to measure branching fractions and other observables such as lepton universality ratios and $CP$ asymmetries. As a proof of concept, fast simulation is used to compare the $X_{b}to K^{+} ell^{+}ell^{-} X$ signature with a fully inclusive approach. Several experimental advantages are seen which have the potential to make measurements of inclusive $bar{B} to X_{s} ell^{+}ell^{-}$ decays tractable at a hadron collider.
In the light of recent data, we study the new physics effects in the exclusive $b to s ell^+ell^-$ decays from a model independent perspective. Different combinations of the dimension six effective operators along with their respective Wilson coefficients are chosen for the analysis. To find out the operator or sets of operators that can best explain the available data in this channel, we simultaneously apply popular model selection tools like cross-validation and the information theoretic approach like Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). There are one, two, and three-operator scenarios which survive the test and a left-handed quark current with vector muon coupling is common among them. This is also the only surviving one-operator scenario. Best-fit values and correlations of the new Wilson coefficients are supplied for all the selected scenarios. We find that the angular observables play the dominant role in the model selection procedure. We also note that while a left-handed quark current with axial-vector muon coupling is the only one-operator scenario able to explain the ratios $R_{K^{(*)}}$ ($R_{K^*}$ for $q^2in [ 0.045, 1.1] {rm GeV}^2$ in particular), there are also a couple of two operator scenarios that can simultaneously explain the measured $R_{K^{(*)}}$.
We predict the amplitude of the $Bto K ell^+ell^-$ decay in the region of the dilepton invariant mass squared $0<q^2leq m_{J/psi}^2$, that is, at large hadronic recoil. The $Bto K$ form factors entering the factorizable part of the decay amplitude are obtained from QCD light-cone sum rules. The nonlocal effects, generated by the four-quark and penguin operators combined with the electromagnetic interaction, are calculated at $q^2<0$, far below the hadronic thresholds. For hard-gluon contributions we employ the QCD factorization approach. The soft-gluon nonfactorizable contributions are estimated from QCD light-cone sum rules. The result of the calculation is matched to the hadronic dispersion relation in the variable $q^2$, which is then continued to the kinematical region of the decay. The overall effect of nonlocal contributions in $Bto Kell^+ell^-$ at large hadronic recoil is moderate. The main uncertainty of the predicted $Bto K ell^+ell^-$ partial width is caused by the $Bto K$ form factors. Furthermore, the isospin asymmetry in this decay is expected to be very small. We investigate the deviation of the observables from the Standard Model predictions by introducing a generic new physics contribution to the effective Hamiltonian.