We extract the Glauber divergences from the spectator amplitudes for two-body hadronic decays $B to M_1 M_2$ in the $k_T$ factorization theorem, where $M_2$ denotes the meson emitted at the weak vertex. Employing the eikonal approximation, the diverg
ences are factorized into the corresponding Glauber phase factors associated with the $M_1$ and $M_2$ mesons. It is observed that the latter factor enhances the spectator contribution to the color-suppressed tree amplitude by modifying the interference pattern between the two involved leading-order diagrams. The first factor rotates the enhanced spectator contribution by a phase, and changes its interference with other tree diagrams. The above Glauber effects are compared with the mechanism in elastic rescattering among various $M_1 M_2$ final states, which has been widely investigated in the literature. We postulate that only the Glauber effect associated with a pion is significant, due to its special role as a $q bar q$ bound state and as a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson simultaneously. Treating the Glauber phases as additional inputs in the perturbative QCD (PQCD) approach, we find a good fit to all the $B to pipi$, $pirho$, $piomega$, and $pi K$ data, and resolve the long-standing $pipi$ and $pi K$ puzzles. The nontrivial success of this modified PQCD formalism is elaborated.
I review the basics of perturbative QCD, including infrared divergences and safety, collinear and $k_T$ factorization theorems, and various evolution equations and resummation techniques for single- and double-logarithmic corrections. I then elaborat
e its applications to studies of jet substructures and hadronic two-body heavy-quark decays.
We study jet substructures of a boosted polarized top quark, which undergoes the semileptonic decay $tto bell u$, in the perturbative QCD framework. The jet mass distribution (energy profile) is factorized into the convolution of a hard top-quark dec
ay kernel with the bottom-quark jet function (jet energy function). Computing the hard kernel to leading order in QCD and inputting the latter functions from the resummation formalism, we observe that the jet mass distribution is not sensitive to the helicity of the top quark, but the energy profile is: energy is accumulated faster within a left-handed top jet than within a right-handed one, a feature related to the $V-A$ structure of weak interaction. It is pointed out that the energy profile is a simple and useful jet observable for helicity discrimination of a boosted top quark, which helps identification of physics beyond the Standard Model at the Large Hadron Collider. The extension of our analysis to other jet substructures, including those associated with a hadronically decaying polarized top quark, is proposed.
We perform perturbative QCD factorization of infrared radiations associated with an energetic $b$ quark from a polarized top quark decay, taking the semi-leptonic channel as an example. The resultant formula is expressed as a convolution of an infrar
ed-finite heavy-quark kernel with a $b$-quark jet function. Evaluating the heavy-quark kernel up to leading order in the coupling constant and adopting the jet function from QCD resummation, we predict the dependence of the spin analyzing power for a polarized top quark on the invariant mass of the $b$-quark jet. It is observed that the spin analyzing power could be enhanced by a factor 2 compared to the inclusive case with the jet mass being integrated over. It is worthwhile to test experimentally the enhancement of the spin analyzing power due to the inclusion of jet dynamics.
It has been pointed out that the recent BaBar data on the pi gamma^* -> gamma transition form factor F_{pi gamma}(Q^2) at low (high) momentum transfer squared Q^2 indicate an asymptotic (flat) pion distribution amplitude. These seemingly contradictor
y observations can be reconciled in the k_T factorization theorem: the increase of the measured Q^2F_{pi gamma}(Q^2) for Q^2 > 10 GeV^2 is explained by convoluting a k_T dependent hard kernel with a flat pion distribution amplitude, k_T being a parton transverse momentum. The low Q^2 data are accommodated by including the resummation of alpha_s ln^2x, x being a parton momentum fraction, which provides a stronger suppression at the endpoints of x. The next-to-leading-order correction to the pion transition form factor is found to be less than 20% in the considered range of Q^2.
We show that there exist uncanceled soft divergences in the k_T factorization for nonfactorizable amplitudes of two-body nonleptonic B meson decays, similar to those identified in hadron hadroproduction. These divergences can be grouped into a soft f
actor using the eikonal approximation, which is then treated as an additional nonperturbative input in the perturbative QCD formalism. Viewing the special role of the pion as a q-qbar bound state and as a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson, we postulate that the soft effect associated with it is significant. This soft factor enhances the nonfactorizable color-suppressed tree amplitudes, such that the branching ratios B(pi^0 pi^0) and B(pi^0 rho^0) are increased under the constraint of the B(rho^0 rho^0) data, the difference between the direct CP asymmetries A_{CP}(pi^mp K^pm) and A_{CP}(pi^0 K^pm) is enlarged, and the mixing-induced CP asymmetry S_{pi^0 K_S} is reduced. Namely, the known pi pi and pi K puzzles can be resolved simultaneously.
The final session of FPCP 2008 consisted of a round-table discussion among panelists and audience. The panelists included Jeffrey Appel(moderator), Martin Beneke, George W.S. Hou, David Kirkby, Dmitri Tsybychev, Matt Wingate, and Taku Yamanaka. What follows is an edited transcript of the session.
