Related papers: The B -> pi K Puzzle: 2009 Update
A recent analysis of $B \to \pi K$ decays concludes that present data do not clearly indicate whether (i) the standard model (or $\Delta I=0$ new physics) is sufficient, or (ii) $\Delta I=1$ new physics is needed. We show that these two…
The influence of strong and electroweak penguin amplitudes in $B/ \bar B \rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-$ is investigated in connection with the determination of the unitarity triangle angle $\alpha$ of the CKM matrix. A relation between the…
By using the recent experimental measurements of B -> pi pi and B -> K pi branching ratios, we find that the amplitudes computed at the leading order of the LambdaQCD/mb expansion disagree with the observed BRs, even taking into account the…
Assuming SU(3) symmetry for the strong phases in the four decay modes $B\rarrow \pi^-\pi^+, \pi^0 \pi^+, \pi^- K^+, \pi^- \bar{K}^0$ and ignoring the relative small electroweak penguin effects in those decays, the weak phase $\gamma$ and…
In the absence of the QCD penguin contributions a measurement of the time-dependent asymmetry in the decay $B^0(t)\to \pi^+\pi^-$ gives directly the weak angle $\alpha$. Several bounds have been proposed in the literature on the magnitude…
We calculate the important next-to-leading-order contributions to the B -> pi K, pi pi decays from the vertex corrections, the quark loops, and the magnetic penguins in the perturbative QCD approach. It is found that the latter two reduce…
The measured value of A_b, the Z \bar bb asymmetry parameter, disagrees with the Standard Model at 99% confidence level. If genuine the discrepancy could indicate new interactions unique to third generation quarks, implying enhanced Z…
We investigate allowed regions in observable space of B --> pi K, B_d --> pi^+pi^- and B_s --> K^+K^- decays, characterizing these modes in the Standard Model. After a discussion of a new kind of contour plots for the $B\to\pi K$ system, we…
We study $B \to K^* \rho$ modes that are analogues of the much studied $B\to K \pi$ modes with B decaying to two vector mesons instead of pseudoscalar mesons, using topological amplitudes in the quark diagram approach. We show how $B \to…
A general parametrization of the amplitudes for the rare two-body decays B -> pi K is introduced, which makes maximal use of theoretical constraints arising from flavour symmetries of the strong interactions and the structure of the…
In charmless nonleptonic B decays to \pi\pi or \rho\rho, the "color allowed" and "color suppressed" tree amplitudes can be studied in a systematic expansion in \alphas(mb) and \Lambda/mb. At leading order in this expansion their relative…
The most common decay used for measuring 2beta_s, the phase of Bs-Bsbar mixing, is Bs -> J/psi phi. This decay is dominated by the colour-suppressed tree diagram, but there are other contributions due to gluonic and electroweak penguin…
The sensitivity of the $B \to \pi K$ mode to electroweak penguins and the recent experimental data for the $B \to \pi \pi$, $\pi K$ modes has given rise to what is known as the ``$B \to \pi K$ puzzle''. Recently it has been observed that…
Radiative penguin decays provide an indirect probe for physics beyond the Standard Model and contribute to the determination of the CKM matrix elements. Copious quantities of B mesons produced at the B-Factories permit precision…
The recent measurements of the direct CP asymmetries ($A_{CP}$) in the penguin-dominated $B\to K \pi$ decays show some discrepancy from the standard model (SM) prediction. While $A_{CP}$ of $B^+ \to \pi^0 K^+$ and that of $B^0 \to \pi^-…
The high precision to which the standard model has been confirmed implies that new physics effects have to be small in the observed processes. Together with the outstanding precision expected from present and future collider experiments…
We discuss several issues related to direct CP violation in rare $B$ meson decays. We review the use of CP asymmetries in extracting information of strong and weak phases, how the experimental data fit into the overall picture, and the…
Charmless B decay modes $B \to \pi \pi, \pi K$ and $KK$ aresystematically investigated with and without flavor SU(3) symmetry. Independent analyses on $\pi \pi$ and $\pi K$ modes both favor a large ratio between color-suppressed tree ($C$)…
This talk contains a short overview of the history of the interplay of the weak and the strong interaction and CP-violation. It describes the phenomenology and the basic physics mechanisms involved in the Standard Model calculations of…
The rare decay B to K* (to K pi) mu+ mu- is regarded as one of the crucial channels for B physics since its angular distribution gives access to many observables that offer new important tests of the Standard Model and its extensions. We…