Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Perturbative QCD fragmentation functions as a model for heavy-quark fragmentation

Journal Article · · Physical Review, D
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3]
  1. Theory Group, Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois 60510 (United States)
  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)
  3. Davis Institute for High Energy Physics, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States)
The perturbative QCD fragmentation functions for a heavy quark to fragment into heavy-light mesons are studied in the heavy-quark limit. The fragmentation functions for {ital S}-wave pseudoscalar and vector mesons are calculated to next-to-leading order in the heavy-quark mass expansion using the methods of heavy-quark effective theory. The results agree with the {ital m}{sub {ital b}}{r_arrow}{infinity} limit of the perturbative QCD fragmentation functions for {ital {bar b}} into {ital B}{sub {ital c}} and {ital B}{sub {ital c}}{sup *}. We discuss the application of the perturbative QCD fragmentation functions as a model for the fragmentation of heavy quarks into heavy-light mesons. Using this model we predict the fraction {ital P}{sub {ital V}} of heavy-light mesons that are produced in the vector meson state as functions of the longitudinal momentum fraction {ital z} and the transverse momentum relative to the jet axis. The fraction {ital P}{sub {ital V}} is predicted to vary from about 1/2 at small {ital z} to almost 3/4 near {ital z}=1.
Research Organization:
Northwestern University
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-91ER40684; FG03-91ER40674
OSTI ID:
44749
Journal Information:
Physical Review, D, Journal Name: Physical Review, D Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 51; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Helicity probabilities for heavy quark fragmentation into excited mesons
Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995 · Physical Review, D · OSTI ID:44750

Spin alignment in the production of charm and/or bottom vector mesons via heavy quark fragmentation
Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States) · OSTI ID:7253172

Perturbative QCD predictions for the fragmentation functions of the [ital P]- wave mesons with two heavy quarks
Journal Article · Tue Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1993 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States) · OSTI ID:5803443