$\omega$-$\phi$ mixing and weak annihilation in $D_s$ decays

Abstract

The mixing between nonstrange and strange quark wavefunctions in the $\omega$ and $\phi$ mesons leads to a small predicted branching ratio $\b(D_s^+ \to \omega e^+ \nu_e) = {\cal O}(10^{-4})(\delta/3.34^\circ)^2$, where $\delta$ is the mixing angle. The value $\delta = -3.34^\circ$ is obtained in a mass-independent analysis, while a mass-dependent analysis gives $\delta = -0.45^\circ$ at $m(\omega)$ and $-4.64^\circ$ at $m(\phi)$. Measurement of this branching ratio thus can tell whether the decay is dominated by $\phi$--$\omega$ mixing, or additional nonperturbative processes commonly known as "weak annihilation" (WA) contribute. The role of WA in the decay $D_s^+ \to \omega \pi^+$ and its possible use in estimating WA effects in $D_s^+ \to \omega e^+ \nu_e$ are also discussed. Assuming that the dynamics of WA in $D_s^+ \to \omega \pi^+$ is similar in $D_s^+ \to \omega e^+ \nu_e$ we estimate $\b(D_s^+ \to \omega e^+ \nu_e) = (1.3 \pm 0.5)\times 10^{-3}$.