Topics in Heavy Quark Physics

Citation

Kapustin, Anton N. (1997) Topics in Heavy Quark Physics. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/VMR2-BC71. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:07312017-085453845

Abstract

Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET) is reviewed and applied to extracting the fundamental parameters of the Standard Model from experimental data. The main focus is on precision measurements of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V_cb|, and the charm and bottom quark masses m_c and m_b. We discuss the model-independent extraction of |V_cb| from the B → D*lv decay rate and show that the corresponding theoretical uncertainties, although small, cannot be further reduced. The theory of the inclusive B → X_clv decay is described and then used to extract |V_cb|, m_c, and m_b from the available data. We also determine the HQET parameters Λ and λ₁ which appear in the expressions for the heavy meson decay rates and the relations between the meson and quark masses. At present, the accuracy of the inclusive measurement of |V_cb| is comparable to that from the exclusive B → D*lv decay, but could be improved if the bottom quark mass m_b were known better. We show how this could be accomplished by measuring the photon spectrum in the rare inclusive B → X_sγ decay.

Thesis Files