Abstract: In the past decade, one of the major challenges of particle physics has been to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of quark flavor. In this time frame, measurements and the theoretical interpretation of their results have advanced tremendously. A much broader understanding of flavor particles has been achieved; apart from their masses and quantum numbers, there now exist detailed measurements of the characteristics of their interactions allowing stringent tests of Standard Model predictions. Among the most interesting phenomena of flavor physics is the violation of the CP symmetry that has been subtle and difficult to explore. In the past, observations of CP violation were confined to neutral K mesons, but since the early 1990s, a large number of CP-violating processes have been studied in detail in neutral B mesons. In parallel, measurements of the couplings of the heavy quarks and the dynamics for their decays in large samples of K, D, and B mesons have been greatly improved in accuracy and the results are being used as probes in the search for deviations from the Standard Model. In the near future, there will be a transition from the current to a new generation of experiments; thus a review of the status of quark flavor physics is timely. This report is the result of the work of physicists attending the 5th CKM workshop, hosted by the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, September 9-13, 2008. It summarizes the results of the current generation of experiments that are about to be completed and it confronts these results with the theoretical understanding of the field which has greatly improved in the past decade.

Abstract: We present a study of the D+pi(-), D-0 pi(+), and D*(+)pi(-) systems in inclusive e(+)e(-)-> c (c) over bar interactions in a search for new excited D meson states. We use a data set, consisting of similar to 454 fb(-1), collected at center-of-mass energies near 10.58 GeV by the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy collider. We observe, for the first time, candidates for the radial excitations of the D-0, D*(0), and D*(+), as well as the L = 2 excited states of the D-0 and D+, where L is the orbital angular momentum of the quarks.

Abstract: We present a study of 649 +/- 35 e(+)e(-) -> c (c) over bar events produced at root s approximate to 10.6 GeV containing both Lambda(+)(c) baryon and a (Lambda) over bar (-)(c) antibaryon. The number observed is roughly 4 times that expected if the leading charmed hadron types are uncorrelated, confirming an observation by the CLEO Collaboration. We find a 2-jet topology in these events but very few additional baryons, demonstrating that the primary c and (c) over bar are predominantly contained in a correlated baryon-antibaryon system. In addition to the charmed baryons we observe on average 2.6 +/- 0.2 charged intermediate mesons, predominantly pions, carrying 65% of the remaining energy.

Abstract: Using 467 fb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data collected with the BABAR detector, we measure B(tau(-)->mu(-)(nu) over bar (mu)nu(tau))/B(tau(-)-> e(-)(nu) over bar (e)nu(tau)) = (0.9796 +/- 0.0016 +/- 0.0036), B(tau(-)->pi(-)nu(tau))/B(tau(-)-> e(-)nu(e)nu(tau)) = (0.5945 +/- 0.0014 +/- 0.0061), and B(tau(-)-> K-nu(tau))/B(tau(-)-> e(-)nu(e)nu(tau)) = (0.03882 +/- 0.00032 +/- 0.00057), where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. From these precision similar to measurements, we test the standard model assumption of μ- e and tau – μcharge current lepton universality and provide determinations of vertical bar V-us vertical bar experimentally independent of the decay of a kaon.

Abstract: We present a study of the decays B-0,B-+ -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-)pi K-0(0,+), using 467 x 106 B (B) over bar pairs recorded with the BABAR detector. We present evidence for the decay mode X(3872) -> J/psi omega, with product branching fractions B(B+ -> X(3872K(+)) x B(X(3872) -> J/psi omega) = [0.6 +/- 0.2(stat) +/- 0.1(syst)] x 10(-5), and B(B-0 -> X(3872)K-0) x B(X(3872) -> J/psi omega) = [0.6 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.1(syst)] x 10(-5). A detailed study of the pi(+) pi(-) pi(0) mass distribution from X(3872) decay favors a negative-parity assignment.