Using data recorded by the CLEO II detector operating at the Upsilon(4S) resonance at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, several properties of B mesons are measured using a partially reconstructed tag of the decay mode bar{B0} -> D*+ l- bar{nu}. Using 2.38 fb**{-1} of on-resonance data and the averaged B meson semileptonic branching fraction through inclusive lepton momentum spectrum obtained by previous CLEO analysis, we measure the B0 and B- semileptonic branching fraction to be (10.78 +/- 0.60 +/- 0.69)% and (10.25 +/- 0.57 +/- 0.65)% respectively, which yields the lifetime ratio tau_+/tau_0 = 0.950 +0.117-0.080 +0.091-0.068, assuming the equality of semileptonic partial branching width for bar{B0} and B-. With a larger dataset of 3.1 fb**{-1}, we measured the B0-bar{B0} mixing parameter chi_d to be 0.189 +/- 0.019 +/- 0.006. / Ph. D.

The decays, <img width=119 height=32 align=center src=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/28846/image006.gif> and <img width=119 height=29 align=center src=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/28846/image008.gif> are studied using data collected at the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring. Both decays are identified using a partial reconstruction method where the <I>D<SUP>*</SUP></I> is detected only through a pion daughter from the decay <img width=64 height=25 align=center src=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/28846/image010.gif>. Because of the similarities in the analyses of the two modes, the ratio of the rates is measured in a way that is independent of the decay model, limited mainly by the uncertainty in the relative efficiency for detecting neutral and charged pions. This ratio is equivalent to the ratio of the product of production fraction and lifetime for charged and neutral B mesons, <img width=31 height=29 align=center src=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/28846/image012.gif>. It is combined with measurements of the lifetime ratio to obtain the ratio of charged and neutral B meson production at the Y(4S) resonance, <img width=175 height=29 align=center src=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/28846/image014.gif>. / Ph. D.

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A general analysis of the photon and lepton polarizations in the rare Bs &amp / #8594 / &amp / #61543 / l+l- decay by using the most general model independent form of the effective Hamiltonian is presented. The total and the differential branching ratios for these decays, when photon is in the positive and negative helicity states, are studied. The sensitivity of &quot / photon polarization asymmetry&quot / and the longitudinal, transverse and normal polarization asymmetries of final state leptons, as well as lepton-antilepton combined asymmetries in Bs &amp / #8594 / &amp / #61543 / l+l- decay to the new Wilson coefficients are also investigated. It is shown that all these physical observables are very sensitive to the existence of new physics beyond SM and their experimental measurements can give valuable information about it.

La recherche indirecte des effets de la physique au-delà du Modèle Standard à travers les processus de la saveur est complémentaire aux efforts au LHC pour observer directement la nouvelle physique. Dans cette thèse nous discutons plusieurs scénarios au-delà du Modèle Standard (a) en utilisant une approche basée sur les théories de champs effective et (b) en considérant des extensions explicites du Modèle Standard, à savoir les modèles à deux doublets de Higgs et les scénarios postulant l'existence des bosons leptoquarks scalaires à basse énergie. En particulier, nous discutons le phénomène de la brisure de l'universalité des couplages leptoniques dans les désintégrations basées sur les transitions b → sℓℓ et b → cτν, et la possibilité de chercher les signatures de la violation de la saveur leptonique à travers les modes de désintégration similaires. Une proposition pour tester la présence d'un boson pseudoscalaire léger à travers les désintégrations des quarkonia est aussi présentée. / Indirect searches of physics beyond the Standard Model through flavor physics processes at low energies are complementary to the ongoing efforts at the LHC to observe the New Physic phenomena directly. In this thesis we discuss several scenarios of physics beyond the Standard Model by (a) reusing the effective field theory approach and (b) by considering explicit extensions of the Standard Model, namely the two-Higgs doublet models and the scenarios involving the low energy scalar leptoquark states. Particular emphasis is devoted to the issue of the lepton flavor universality violation in the exclusive decays based on b → sℓℓ and b → cτν, and to the possibility of searching for signs of lepton flavor violation through similar decay modes. A proposal for testing the presence of the light CP-odd Higgs through quarkonia decays is also made.

A study of the usage of ALICEs time of flight (TOF), time projection chamber (TPC), and electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal), aiming at detecting and separating electrons and positrons (e±) originated from different sources, was carried out. To accomplish the objectives of the research, data gathered from the 2012 proton-proton (pp) collision experiment were used. At a center of mass energy of sqrt(s)=8TeV, the collision of the proton beams liberates heavy quarks, charm and bottom, with approximate lifetimes of approximately 10^13s and 10^12s, respectively. The e± generated through weak semileptonic heavy flavor decays are of interest for studying quarks, therefore it served solely as motivation and incentive for the research carried out and described herein. The introduction of carefully selected cuts, with the purpose of separating partial data collected in the three detectors, permitted the understanding of their effect on the results. Furthermore, due to the fact that the TOFs design was not meant to separate e± from the other heavier particles, only the general effects of introducing a simple cut in the beta=v/c values were analyzed. The more specific cuts were only used for the data generated by the events detected by the TPC and the EMCal. A combination of cuts based on the particles energy loss as a function of traveled distance (dE/dx), with the ratio of energy to momentum (E/p) of the particle, was adopted to enable the separation process, thus allowing for the isolation of e± from the other particles, namely pi±, K±, and p/p. The analysis was performed for values of total particle momentum in the range 0<=p<=6GeV/c. A comparison of the raw data with the results obtained by applying this procedure, indicated a substantial increase in the e± yield and efficiency, reaching average values above 90% over the entire momentum range. / Um estudo do uso dos detetores de tempo de voo (TDV), câmara de projeção de tempo (CPT), e calorímetro eletromagnético (CalEM) do ALICE, visando detectar elétrons e pósitrons (e±) originados por diferentes fontes, foi realizado. Para atingir os objetivos da pesquisa, dados coletados durante o experimento de colisões próton-próton em 2012 foram utilizados. Com um nível de enegia do centro de mass igual a raiz(s)=8TeV, a colisão dos feixes de prótons libera quarks pesados, charm e bottom, com tempo de vida de aproximadamente 10^13s e 10^12s, respectivamente. Os e± gerados pelo decaimento fraco semileptônico de sabores pesados é de interesse para o estudo dos quarks, portanto, o conceito serviu somente como motivação e incentivo para a pesquisa realizada e descrita nesta dissertação. A introdução de cortes específicos, com a finalidade de parcialmente separar dados coletados nos três detectores, permitiu adquirir entendimento sobre os efeitos do cortes nos resultados. Adicionalmente, em virtude do projeto do TDV não ter sido feito visando separar e± oriundos do decaimento dos sabores pesados das demais partículas mais massivas, somente os efeitos gerais de introduzir um corte simples nos valores de beta=v/c, foram analisados. Os cortes mais específicos foram somente nos dados detectados pelo CPT e pelo CalEM. Uma combinação de cortes baseados na perda de energia da partícula em função da distância percorrida (dE/dx), com a razão entre a energia e o momento da partícula (E/p), foi adotada para viabilizar o processo de separação, desta forma permitindo a separação dos e± das demais partículas, ou seja, dos pi±, K±, and p/p. A análise foi realizada para valores de momento total das partículas na faixa 0<=p<=6GeV/c. Uma comparação dos dados originais com os resultados obtidos pela aplicação do procedimento, indicou um aumento substancial do rendimento e eficiência dos e±, atingindo valores médios acima de 90% na faixa inteira de momento.

In this analysis the decay B- --&amp;gt; D*° e- nu is measured. The underlying data sample consists of about 226 million B-meson pairs accumulated on the Y(4S) resonance by the BABAR detector at the asymmetric e+e- collider PEP II. The reconstruction of the decay uses the channels D*° --&amp;gt; D° pi°, D° --&amp;gt; K- pi+ and pi° --&amp;gt; gamma gamma. The neutrino is not reconstructed. Since the rest frame of the B meson is unknown, the boost w of the D*° meson in the B meson rest frame is estimated by w'. The w' spectrum of the data is described in terms of the partial decay width dGamma/dw given by theory and the detector simulation translating each spectrum dGamma/dw into an expectation of the measured w' spectrum. dGamma/dw depends on a form factor F(w) parameterizing the strong interaction in the decay process. To find the best descriptive dGamma/dw a fit to the data determines the following two parameters of dGamma/dw: (i) F(1)|Vcb|, the product between F at zero D*°-recoil and the Quark mixing parameter |Vcb|; (ii) rho^2, a parameter of the form factor F(w). The former parameter scales the height of dGamma/dw and rho^2 varies the shape of it. The determined values of F(1)|Vcb|, rho^2 and the branching fraction BF(B- --&amp;gt; D*° e- nu) are F(1)|Vcb| = (35.8 +- 0.5 +- 1.5) x 10e-03, rho^2 = (1.08 +- 0.05 +- 0.09) and BF(B- --&amp;gt; D*° e- nu) = (5.60 +- 0.08 +- 0.42)%, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The value of BF(B- --&amp;gt; D*° e- nu) has been determined by an integration of dGamma/dw over the allowed w range using the fitted values of F(1)|Vcb| and rho^2.

A study of the usage of ALICEs time of flight (TOF), time projection chamber (TPC), and electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal), aiming at detecting and separating electrons and positrons (e±) originated from different sources, was carried out. To accomplish the objectives of the research, data gathered from the 2012 proton-proton (pp) collision experiment were used. At a center of mass energy of sqrt(s)=8TeV, the collision of the proton beams liberates heavy quarks, charm and bottom, with approximate lifetimes of approximately 10^13s and 10^12s, respectively. The e± generated through weak semileptonic heavy flavor decays are of interest for studying quarks, therefore it served solely as motivation and incentive for the research carried out and described herein. The introduction of carefully selected cuts, with the purpose of separating partial data collected in the three detectors, permitted the understanding of their effect on the results. Furthermore, due to the fact that the TOFs design was not meant to separate e± from the other heavier particles, only the general effects of introducing a simple cut in the beta=v/c values were analyzed. The more specific cuts were only used for the data generated by the events detected by the TPC and the EMCal. A combination of cuts based on the particles energy loss as a function of traveled distance (dE/dx), with the ratio of energy to momentum (E/p) of the particle, was adopted to enable the separation process, thus allowing for the isolation of e± from the other particles, namely pi±, K±, and p/p. The analysis was performed for values of total particle momentum in the range 0<=p<=6GeV/c. A comparison of the raw data with the results obtained by applying this procedure, indicated a substantial increase in the e± yield and efficiency, reaching average values above 90% over the entire momentum range. / Um estudo do uso dos detetores de tempo de voo (TDV), câmara de projeção de tempo (CPT), e calorímetro eletromagnético (CalEM) do ALICE, visando detectar elétrons e pósitrons (e±) originados por diferentes fontes, foi realizado. Para atingir os objetivos da pesquisa, dados coletados durante o experimento de colisões próton-próton em 2012 foram utilizados. Com um nível de enegia do centro de mass igual a raiz(s)=8TeV, a colisão dos feixes de prótons libera quarks pesados, charm e bottom, com tempo de vida de aproximadamente 10^13s e 10^12s, respectivamente. Os e± gerados pelo decaimento fraco semileptônico de sabores pesados é de interesse para o estudo dos quarks, portanto, o conceito serviu somente como motivação e incentivo para a pesquisa realizada e descrita nesta dissertação. A introdução de cortes específicos, com a finalidade de parcialmente separar dados coletados nos três detectores, permitiu adquirir entendimento sobre os efeitos do cortes nos resultados. Adicionalmente, em virtude do projeto do TDV não ter sido feito visando separar e± oriundos do decaimento dos sabores pesados das demais partículas mais massivas, somente os efeitos gerais de introduzir um corte simples nos valores de beta=v/c, foram analisados. Os cortes mais específicos foram somente nos dados detectados pelo CPT e pelo CalEM. Uma combinação de cortes baseados na perda de energia da partícula em função da distância percorrida (dE/dx), com a razão entre a energia e o momento da partícula (E/p), foi adotada para viabilizar o processo de separação, desta forma permitindo a separação dos e± das demais partículas, ou seja, dos pi±, K±, and p/p. A análise foi realizada para valores de momento total das partículas na faixa 0<=p<=6GeV/c. Uma comparação dos dados originais com os resultados obtidos pela aplicação do procedimento, indicou um aumento substancial do rendimento e eficiência dos e±, atingindo valores médios acima de 90% na faixa inteira de momento.