English

The QCD Perspective on Lifetimes of Heavy-Flavour Hadrons

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2009-09-25 v1

Abstract

Over the last few years a theoretical treatment for the weak decays of heavy-flavour hadrons has been developed that is genuinely based on QCD. Its methodology is described as it applies to total lifetimes, and the underlying theoretical issues are discussed. Theoretical expectations are compared with present data. One discrepancy emerges: the beauty baryon lifetime appears to be significantly shorter than predicted. The ramifications of those findings are analyzed in detail, and future refinements are described.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-ph/9508408,
  title  = {The QCD Perspective on Lifetimes of Heavy-Flavour Hadrons},
  author = {I. I. Bigi},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-ph/9508408},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

48 pages,LATEX,5 figures can be obtained from the Author on request; preliminary version; final version will form part of a Physics Report on Charm and Beauty Lifetimes; Comments and criticisms are highly welcome for improving the manuscript