Based on the full BABAR data sample, we report improved measurements of the ratios R(D{sup (*)}) = {Beta}({bar B} {yields} D{sup (*)} {tau}{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub {tau}})/{Beta}({bar B} {yields} D{sup (*)} {ell}{sup -}{bar {nu}}{sub {ell}}), where {ell} is either e or {mu}. These ratios are sensitive to new physics contributions in the form of a charged Higgs boson. We measure R(D) = 0.440 {+-} 0.058 {+-} 0.042 and R(D*) = 0.332 {+-} 0.024 {+-} 0.018, which exceed the Standard Model expectations by 2.0{sigma} and 2.7{sigma}, respectively. Taken together, our results disagree with these expectations at the 3.4{sigma} level. This excess cannot be explained by a charged Higgs boson in the type II two-Higgs-doublet model. We also report the observation of the decay {bar B} {yields} D{tau}{sup -} {bar {nu}}{sub {tau}}, with a significance of 6.8{sigma}.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

A Model-Independent Search for the decay B->l nu gamma

The authors present a search for the radiative leptonic decay B{sup +} {yields} {ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}{gamma}, where {ell} = e, {mu}, using a data sample of 465 million B{bar B} pairs collected by the BABAR experiment. In this analysis, they fully reconstruct the hadronic decay of one of the B mesons in {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{sup +}B{sup -} decays, then search for evidence of B{sup +} {yields} {ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}{gamma} in the rest of the event. They observe no significant evidence of signal decays and report model-independent branching fraction upper limits of {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} e{sup +}{nu}{sub e}{gamma}) < 17 x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{nu}{sub {mu}}{gamma}) < 24 x 10{sup -6}, and {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} {ell}{sup +}{nu}{sub {ell}}{gamma}) < 15.6 x 10{sup -6} ({ell} = e or {mu}), all at the 90% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Exclusive Measurements of the b to s gamma Transition Rate and Photon Energy Spectrum

We use 429 fb{sup -1} of e{sup +}e{sup -} collision data collected at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector to measure the radiative transition rate of b {yields} s{gamma} with a sum of 38 exclusive final states. The inclusive branching fraction with a minimum photon energy of 1.9 GeV is found to be {Beta}({bar B} {yields} Xs{gamma}) = (3.29 {+-} 0.19 {+-} 0.48) x 10{sup -4} where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. We also measure the first and second moments of the photon energy spectrum and extract the best fit values for the heavy-quark parameters, m{sub b} and {mu}{sub {pi}}{sup 2}, in the kinetic and shape function models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Measurement of CP Asymmetries and Branching Fractions in Charmless Two-Body B-Meson Decays to Pions and Kaons

We present improved measurements of CP-violation parameters in the decays B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}, B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}, and B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}, and of the branching fractions for B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0} and B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}. The results are obtained with the full data set collected at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, corresponding to 467 {+-} 5 million B{bar B} pairs. We find the CP-violation parameter values and branching fractions S{sub {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}} = -0.68 {+-} 0.10 {+-} 0.03, C{sub {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}} = -0.25 {+-} 0.08 {+-} 0.02, {Alpha}{sub K{sup -}{pi}{sup +}} = -0.107 {+-} 0.016{sub -0.004}{sup +0.006}, C{sub {pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}} = -0.43 {+-} 0.26 {+-} 0.05, {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}) = (1.83 {+-} 0.21 {+-} 0.13) x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} K0{pi}{sup 0}) = (10.1 {+-} 0.6 {+-} 0.4) x 10{sup -6}, where in each case, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We observe CP violation with a significance of 6.7 standard deviations for B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} and 6.1 standard deviations for B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}, including systematic uncertainties. Constraints on the Unitarity Triangle angle {alpha} are determined from the isospin relations among the B {yields} {pi}{pi} rates and asymmetries. Considering only the solution preferred by the Standard Model, we find {alpha} to be in the range [71{sup o}, 109{sup o}] at the 68% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Search for resonances decaying to etac pi pi- in two-photon interactions

We report a study of the process {gamma}{gamma} {yields} X {yields} {eta}{sub c}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}, where X stands for one of the resonances {chi}{sub c2}(1P), {eta}{sub c}(2S), X(3872), X(3915), or {chi}{sub c2}(2P). The analysis is performed with a data sample of 473.9 fb{sup -1} collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. We do not observe a significant signal for any channel, and calculate 90% confidence-level upper limits on the products of branching fractions and two-photon widths {Lambda}{sub X{yields}{gamma}{gamma}} {Beta}(X {yields} {eta}{sub c}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}): 15.7 eV for {chi}{sub c2}(1P), 133 eV for {eta}{sub c}(2S), 11.1 eV for X(3872) (assuming it to be a spin-2 state), 16 eV for X(3915) (assuming it to be a spin-2 state), and 19 eV for {chi}{sub c2}(2P). We also report upper limits on the ratios of branching fractions {Beta}({eta}{sub c}(2S) {yields} {eta}{sub c}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -})/{Beta}({eta}{sub c}(2S) {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) < 10.0 and {Beta}({chi}{sub c2}(1P) {yields} {eta}{sub c}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -})/{Beta}({chi}{sub c2}(1P) {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) < 32.9 at the 90% confidence level.

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