Resolving B-CP Puzzles in QCD Factorization

Abstract

Within the framework of QCD factorization (QCDF), power corrections due to penguin annihilation can account for the observed rates of penguin-dominated two-body decays of $B$ mesons and direct CP asymmetries $A_{CP}(K^-π^+)$, $A_{CP}(K^{*-}π^+)$, $A_{CP}(K^-ρ^0)$ and $A_{CP}(π^+π^-)$. However, the predicted direct CP-violating effects in QCDF for $B^-\to K^-π^0,K^-η,π^-η$ and $\bar B^0\toπ^0π^0$ are wrong in signs when confronted with experiment. We show that subleading $1/m_b$ power corrections to the color-suppressed tree amplitude due to spectator scattering or final-state interactions will yield correct signs for aforementioned CP asymmetries and accommodate the observed $π^0π^0$ and $ρ^0π^0$ rates simultaneously. Implications are discussed.

12 pages, 1 figure. Experimental data and references updated, to appear in PRD