Dalitz Analysis of D⁰ to K$$0\atop{S}$$π⁺π^- and Measurement of the CKM Angle γa in Charged B^± Decays to D^(*) K^± Decays

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/922231· OSTI ID:922231

Lau, Yan-Pan ^[1]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

Despite more than thirty years having elapsed since the discovery of CP violation, our understanding about the source and the nature of this phenomenon is still very limited. In the standard model of particle physics, CP violation is due to the presence of an non-irreducible weak phase in the Cabibbo-Kabayashi-Maskawa(CKM) matrix. Up to now, all the experimental results are in good agreement with the standard model. However, it is important for us to over-constrain the CKM quark-mixing matrix and explore the possibility of new physics beyond the standard model. The B meson provides an ideal place to measure CP violation due to its heavy mass and potentially large CP-violating effects. In particular, the angle γ of the Unitary Triangle relating the elements of the CKM matrix is extremely crucial in terms of CP violation and constraints on the new physics models. Various methods using B^- → D⁰K^- decays have been proposed to measure based on the interference between the V_cb and V_ub amplitudes. Despite the simple concept, the measurement turns out to be experimentally challenging due to the small branching fraction and the small value of τ_B, the amplitude ratio between the two contributing Feynman diagrams. In this thesis a novel technique to measure γ in B^- → D^(*) K^- decay using a Dalitz plot analysis of D⁰ → K{sub s}π⁺π^- is presented. Until the turn on of LHC _b [1] later in the decade, this remains the most promising method to measure γ. This thesis is roughly separated into two parts. The first part involves a study of hadron spectroscopy and the Dalitz plot analysis of the D⁰→ K$$0\atop{S}$$π⁺π^-. The second part of the thesis involves the measurement of γ in B^- → D^(*) K^- using the results of the D⁰ → K$$0\atop{S}$$π⁺π^- dalitz plot analysis.

• Research Organization: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 922231
• Report Number(s): SLAC-R-872; TRN: US0801020
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
AMPLITUDES
B MESONS
DALITZ PLOT
DECAY
FEYNMAN DIAGRAM
HADRONS
PHYSICS
SPECTROSCOPY
STANDARD MODEL
Experiment-HEP
HEPEX