Related papers: The B -> pi K Puzzle: 2009 Update
The 2.5 sigma discrepancy between theory and experiment observed in the difference A_CP(B^- --> pi^0 K^-)-A_CP(Bbar^0 --> pi^+ K^-) can be explained by a new electroweak penguin amplitude. Motivated by this result, we analyse the purely…
Major new experimental efforts on detecting CP violation in $B$ decays will very soon go on the air. Recent developments suggest that final state interaction phases in exclusive decays of $B$ are unlikely to be small indicating the…
We apply the quasi-elastic assumption of the strong final state interactions to describe the B to pi-pi and B to pi-K branching ratios and CP asymmetries and derive bounds on gamma. We find that small electroweak penguins contributions and…
Supersymmetric contributions to the branching ratios and CP asymmetries of B--> K pi decays are analyzed in the view of recent experimental measurements. We show that supersymmetry can still provide a natural solution to the apparent…
The recently observed direct CP violation in $B_d \to K^+ \pi^-$ has raised suggestions of possible new physics. A robust test of the standard model vs. new physics is its prediction of equal direct CP violation in $B_s \to K^- \pi^+$…
We classify the extensions of the Standard Model (SM) according to the structure of local operators in the weak effective Hamiltonian and the presence or absence of new flavour and CP-violating interactions beyond those represented by the…
We discuss the role of electroweak penguins in $B$ decays to two light pseudoscalar mesons. We confirm that the extraction of the weak phase $\alpha$ through the isospin analysis involving $B\to\pi\pi$ decays is largely unaffected by such…
We compute standard model penguin amplitudes in nonleptonic B-decays to light charmless mesons using tree amplitude data to fix hadronic parameters. The leading calculation is carried out for the alphas(mb) penguin contributions from charm…
We show how B -> pi pi decays can be used to search for new physics in the b -> d flavour-changing neutral current. One needs one piece of theoretical input, which we take to be a prediction for P/T, the ratio of the penguin and tree…
Exploring correlations between the CP asymmetries of $B^0_d\to\pi^0K_{\rm S}$ following from an isospin relation, we uncover new tensions with the Standard Model in data for neutral $B\to\pi K$ decays. Should this intriguing picture…
The ratio of partial decay rates for charged and neutral $B$ mesons to $K \pi$ final states provides information on the weak phase $\gamma \equiv {\rm Arg} (V_{ub}^*)$ when augmented with information on the CP-violating asymmetry in the…
Rare $B$, $D$ and $K$ decays provide interesting probes of the Standard Model (SM), with a potential sensitivity to New Physics (NP) higher than other, more common, decays. Their experimental measurement is challenging, and their…
Latest experimental progress is reviewed on the searches for physics beyond the Standard Model using the radiative and electroweak penguin decays of B mesons. This review covers inclusive and exclusive measurements of the b --> s gamma, b…
Measurements of the rates for the hadronic decays B^+- -> pi K can be used to derive information on the weak phase gamma=arg(V_ub^*) in a largely model-independent way. Hadronic uncertainties can be reduced to the level of nonfactorizable…
The $b \to s$ penguin amplitude affects a number of $B$ meson decays to two pseudoscalar ($P$) mesons in which potential anomalies are being watched carefully, though none has yet reached a statistically compelling level. These include (a)…
The decay B -> J/Psi K_S remains the most important source of information for the B_d mixing phase, determined by the CKM angle beta in the standard model. When aiming at a precision appropriate for present and coming high luminosity…
Penguin, or loop, decays of B mesons induce effective flavor-changing neutral currents, which are forbidden at tree level in the Standard Model. These decays give special insight into the CKM matrix and are sensitive to non-standard model…
B --> K^* \pi and B --> \rho K decays involve the same quark-level processes as B --> \pi K. Analyzing the measurements of the former decays might be able to shed additional light on the new-physics hints in the current B --> \pi K data. We…
We update the profile of the CKM matrix. The apex (rhobar,etabar) of the Unitarity Triangle is given by means of a global fit. We propose to include therein sin2alpha from the CP-violating asymmetries in B0->rho+rho-, using isospin to…
Motivated by the recent experimental data, we have revisited the $B\to \pi K,\pi \pi$ decays in the framework of QCD factorization, with inclusion of the important strong penguin corrections of order $\alpha_s^2$ induced by $b\to D g^\ast…