Bc→Bs(d) form factors from lattice QCD

Abstract

We present results of the first lattice QCD calculations of Bc→Bs and Bc→Bd weak matrix elements. Form factors across the entire physical q2 range are then extracted and extrapolated to the physical-continuum limit before combining with Cabbibo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements to predict the semileptonic decay rates Γ(Bc+→Bs0ℓ¯νℓ)=52.4(2.5)×109 s-1 and Γ(Bc+→B0ℓ¯νℓ)=3.10(21)×109 s-1. The lattice QCD uncertainty is comparable to the CKM uncertainty here. Results are derived from correlation functions computed on MILC Collaboration gauge configurations with a range of lattice spacings including 2+1+1 flavors of dynamical sea quarks in the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) formalism. HISQ is also used for the propagators of the valence light, strange, and charm quarks. Two different formalisms are employed for the bottom quark: nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) and heavy-HISQ. Checking agreement between these two approaches is an important test of our strategies for heavy quarks on the lattice. From chained fits of NRQCD and heavy-HISQ data, we obtain the differential decay rates dΓ/dq2 as well as integrated values for comparison to future experimental results.