CP asymmetries in three-body B+- decays to charged pions and kaons

Bhubanjyoti Bhattacharya, Michael Gronau, Jonathan L. Rosner

Published 2013-06-11, updated 2013-08-21Version 4

CP asymmetries have been measured recently by the LHCb collaboration in three-body $B^+$ decays to final states involving charged pions and kaons. Large asymmetries with opposite signs at a level of about 60% have been observed in $B^\pm\to \pi^\pm({\rm or} K^\pm)\pi^+\pi^-$ and $B^\pm \to \pi^\pm K^+K^-$ for restricted regions in the Dalitz plots involving $\pi^+\pi^-$ and $K^+K^-$ with low invariant mass. U-spin is shown to predict corresponding $\Delta S=0$ and $\Delta S=1$ asymmetries with opposite signs and inversely proportional to their branching ratios, in analogy with a successful relation predicted thirteen years ago between asymmetries in $B_s\to K^-\pi^+$ and $B^0 \to K^+ \pi^-$. We compare these predictions with the measured integrated asymmetries. Effects of specific resonant or non-resonant partial waves on enhanced asymmetries for low-pair-mass regions of the Dalitz plot are studied in $B^\pm \to \pi^\pm \pi^+\pi^-$. The closure of low-mass $\pi^+\pi^-$ and $K^+K^-$ channels involving only $\pi\pi \leftrightarrow K\bar K$ rescattering may explain by CPT approximately equal magnitudes and opposite signs measured in $B^\pm\to \pi^\pm\pi^+\pi^-$ and $B^\pm \to \pi^\pm K^+K^-$.