Research Projects

Decays of heavy quarks, including bottom and charm decays, offer valuable insights into the gauge structure of interactions. However, recent anomalies have been observed in various decay modes, requiring reliable predictions based on the knowledge of the appropriate hadronic matrix elements. Factorization is crucial in the theoretical framework, especially for b-quark decays. However, certain tree level modes deviate significantly from their predictions, and important contributions, such as the Darwin term contribution, still lack careful and updated estimates. The light cone sum rule technique is used to calculate non-perturbative quantities like decay constants and form factors, typically after factorization is argued for. This project proposes using this technique from the start, capturing non-factorizable terms and estimating their impact in the beginning. This approach can improve our understanding of these processes and may be applied to a wider set of modes and observables, not limited to heavy quarks alone. The light cone sum rule technique can be applied to the baryonic sector, providing additional information about the structure of baryons and helping make complementary predictions for observables. The techniques and lessons learned can be applied to a wider set of modes and observables, not just heavy quarks alone.