Abstract: An angular analysis of the decay (B) over bar -> D*l(-)(nu) over bar (l), l is an element of {e, mu}, is reported using the full e(+) e(-) collision data set collected by the BABAR experiment at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. One B meson from the Upsilon(4S) -> B (B) over bar decay is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode, which constrains the kinematics and provides a determination of the neutrino momentum vector. The kinematics of the semileptonic decay is described by the dilepton mass squared, q(2), and three angles. The first unbinned fit to the full four-dimensional decay rate in the standard model is performed in the so-called Boyd-Grinstein-Lebed approach, which employs a generic q(2) parametrization of the underlying form factors based on crossing symmetry, analyticity, and QCD dispersion relations for the amplitudes. A fit using the more model-dependent Caprini-Lellouch-Neubert (CLN) approach is performed as well. Our form factor shapes show deviations from previous fits based on the CLN parametrization. The latest form factors also provide an updated prediction for the branching fraction ratio R(D*) B((B) over bar -> D* tau(-)(nu) over bar (tau)) /B((B) over bar -> D*l(-)(nu) over bar (l)) = 0.253 +/- 0.005. Finally, using the well-measured branching fraction for the (B) over bar -> D*l(-)(nu) over bar (l) decay, a value of vertical bar V-cb vertical bar = (38.36 +/- 0.90) x 10(-3) is obtained that is consistent with the current world average for exclusive (B) over bar -> D(*)l(-)(nu) over bar (l) decays and remains in tension with the determination from inclusive semileptonic B decays to final states with charm.

Abstract: We report the observation of the rare charm decay D-0 -> K-pi(+)e(+)e(-), based on 468 fb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data collected at or close to the center-of-mass energy of the (sic)(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We find the branching fraction in the invariant mass range 0.675 < m(e(+)e(-)) < 0.875 GeV/c(2) of the electron-positron pair to be B(D-0 -> K-pi(+)e(+)e(-)) = (4.0 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.2 +/- 0.1) x 10(-6), where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third due to the uncertainty in the branching fraction of the decay D-0 -> K-pi(+)pi(+)pi(-) used as a normalization mode. The significance of the observation corresponds to 9.7 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. This result is consistent with the recently reported D-0 -> K-pi(+)mu(+)mu(-) branching fraction, measured in the same invariant mass range, and with the value expected in the standard model. In a set of regions of m(e(+)e(-)), where long-distance effects are potentially small, we determine a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction B(D-0 -> K-pi(+)e(+)e(-)) < 3.1 x 10(-6).

Abstract: We show that if global lepton number symmetry is spontaneously broken in a postinflation epoch, then it can lead to the formation of cosmological domain walls. This happens in the well-known “Majoron paradigm” for neutrino mass generation. We propose some realistic examples that allow spontaneous lepton number breaking to be safe from such domain walls.