We calculate the $Dto P$ transition form factors within the framework of the light-cone QCD sum rules (LCSR) with the $D$-meson light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs). The next-to-leading power (NLP) corrections to the vacuum-to-$D$-meson correla
tion function are considered, and the NLP corrections from the high-twist $D$-meson LCDAs and the SU(3) breaking effect from strange quark mass are investigated. Adopting the exponential model of the $D$-meson LCDAs,the predicted SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking effects are $R_{SU(3)}^{+,0}=1.12$ and $R_{SU(3)}^{T}=1.39$, respectively, which confirms the results from LCSR with pion LCDA. The numerical predictions of the form factors show that the contribution from two-particle higher-twist contributions is of great importance and the uncertainties are dominated by the inverse moment of $phi_D^+(omega, mu)$. With the obtained form factors, the predicted Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements are $|V_{cd}|=0.151,{}^{+0.091}_{-0.043} big |_{rm th.},{}^{+0.017}_{-0.02} big |_{rm exp.}$ and $|V_{cs}|=0.89,{}^{+0.467}_{-0.234} big |_{rm th.},{}^{+0.008}_{-0.008} big |_{rm exp.}$.
Using the newly measured masses of $B_c(1S)$ and $B_c(2S)$ from the CMS Collaboration and the $1S$ hyperfine splitting determined from the lattice QCD as constrains, we calculate the $B_c$ mass spectrum up to the $6S$ multiplet with a nonrelativistic
linear potential model. Furthermore, using the wave functions from this model we calculate the radiative transitions between the $B_c$ states within a constituent quark model. For the higher mass $B_c$ states lying above $DB$ threshold, we also evaluate the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) allowed two-body strong decays with the $^{3}P_{0}$ model. Our study indicates that besides there are large potentials for the observations of the low-lying $B_c$ states below the $DB$ threshold via their radiative transitions, some higher mass $B_c$ states, such as $B_c(2^3P_2)$, $B_c(2^3D_1)$, $B_c(3^3D_1)$, $B_c(4^3P_0)$, and the $1F$-wave $B_c$ states, might be first observed in their dominant strong decay channels $DB$, $DB^*$ or $D^*B$ at the LHC for their relatively narrow widths.
The open-charm strong decays of higher charmonium states up to the mass of the $6P$ multiplet are systematically studied in the $^3P_0$ model. The wave functions of the initial charmonium states are calculated in the linear potential (LP) and screene
d potential (SP) quark model. The decay widths for most of the well-established charmonium states above the open-charm thresholds can be reasonably described. By comparing our quark model calculations with the experimental observations we also discuss the nature of some of the newly observed charmonium-like states. It is found that (i) the $psi(4415)$ may favor the $psi(4S)$ or $psi_1(3D)$ assignment. There may exist two highly overlapping vector charmonium states around 4.4 GeV; (ii) In the LP model the $J^{PC}=1^{--}$ $Y(4660)$ resonance and the $J^{PC}=0^{++}$ $X(4500)$ resonance may be assigned as the $psi(5S)$ and $chi_{c0}(4P)$, respectively; (iii) The newly observed state $X^*(3860)$ can be assigned as the $chi_{c0}(2P)$ state with a narrow width of about $30$ MeV; (iv) It seems to be difficult to accommodate the $X(4140)$ and $X(4274)$ states in the same potential model as excited $chi_{c1}$ states. (v) The $X(3940)$ resonance can be assigned as the $eta_c(3S)$ state; (vi) The vector charmonium-like states $Y(4230/4260,4360)$ and scalar $X(4700)$ cannot be described by any conventional charmonium states self-consistently in our model.
