Related papers: Constraining $|V_{cs}|$ and physics beyond the Sta…
The standard model of electroweak interactions is reviewed, stressing the top quark's impact on precision tests and on determination of parameters of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix. Some opportunities for the study of CP…
We study the success to describe hyperon semileptonic decays of four models that incorporate second-order SU(3) symmetry breaking corrections. The criteria to assess their success is by determining V_{us} in each of the three relevant…
The following is an overview of the measurements of the CKM matrix elements V_cb and V_ub that are based on detailed studies of semileptonic B decays by the BABAR and Belle Collaborations and recent advances in QCD calculations. In…
The recent experimental results on leptonic $D^+_{(s)}$ decays, semileptonic $D$ decays, determinations of decay constants and form factors, as well as extractions of $|V_{cd}|$ and $|V_{cs}|$ are briefly reviewed. Global analysis of all…
In recent years, exciting (indirect) hints for physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) have been accumulated. In particular, semi-leptonic $B$ decays show deviations from the SM predictions, which, due to the ratios $R(K^{(*)})$ and…
We fit the available data on exclusive semileptonic $b\to u\ell^-\bar\nu$ decays within the Standard Model and in the Weak Effective Theory. Assuming Standard Model dynamics, we find $|V_{ub}| = 3.59^{+0.13}_{-0.12} \times 10^{-3}$. Lifting…
Inspired by a series of unexpected measurements of semileptonic decays mediated via $b\rightarrow c $ charged current interactions, we explore semileptonic $B_c$ decays to the four lightest $P$-wave charmonium states, $\chi_{c0}, \chi_{c1},…
Using HISQ $N_f=2+1+1$ MILC ensembles with five different values of the lattice spacing, including four ensembles with physical quark masses, we have performed the most precise computation to date of the $K\to\pi\ell\nu$ vector form factor…
We propose a method of extracting the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $|V_{cb}|$ from two-body hadronic decay processes of $B\to DK$ with precisely determined form factors of $B$ meson semi-leptonic decays. The amplitude…
Our Vcb extraction is based on recent Belle results, with unfolded kinematical dependence. We use two different parameterizations of the form factors, the CLN and BGL parameterizations. We discuss how the known discrepancy between the…
The effects of possible right-handed weak hadronic currents in rare exclusive semileptonic decays B -> (K, K*) nu bar{nu} are investigated using a lattice-constrained dispersion quark model for the calculation of the relevant mesonic form…
We report on studies of three types of B-meson decay that can contribute to an understanding of fundamental intergenerational quark mixing, charge-conjugation--parity violation, and long-distance quantum chromodynamics. Specifically, we…
New developments in both the theories and experiments related to the extraction of the top-row Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements $V_{ud}$ and $V_{us}$ led to a series of new anomalies, for instance the apparent violation of the…
Recent evidence for direct CP violation in non-leptonic charm decays cannot be easily accommodated within the Standard Model (SM). On the other hand, it fits well in new physics models generating CP violating Delta C=1 chromomagnetic dipole…
We present a systematic analysis for the rare baryonic exclusive decays of $\Lambda_b\to\Lambda l^+ l^- (l=e,\mu,\tau)$. We study the differential decay rates and the di-lepton forward-backward, lepton polarization and various CP…
Hadronic tau decays provide several ways to extract the Cabbibo-Kobashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element V_{us}. The most precise determination involves using inclusive tau decays and requires as input the total branching ratio into strange…
We investigate the leading effects of extending the Standard Model of electroweak interactions by an extra iso-singlet up- and down- type quark pair on various distributions and total branching ratio of the inclusive B-> X_s l^+ l^- (l…
I report results from the CLEO collaboration on semileptonic B decays, highlighting measurements of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements |Vub| and |Vcb|. I describe the techniques used to obtain the recent improvements in precision…
We investigate semileptonic sum rules in heavy-to-light charm decays, motivated by analogous relations in $b \to c$ and $b \to u$ transitions. Focusing on the $c \to d\overline{\ell}\nu$ decays, $D \to \pi\overline{\ell}\nu$, $D \to…
I study (for the first time) the dependence of M_D and of the leptonic decay constant f_D on the variation of the running charm quark mass m_c(\nu). I conclude that the present data on f_{D_s} from D_s into \mu\nu decay give a weaker…