Structure-Dependent QED Effects in Exclusive B Decays at Subleading Power

Abstract

We derive a factorization theorem for the structure-dependent QED effects in the weak exclusive process $B^-\to\ell^-\bar\nu_\ell$, i.e., effects probing the internal structure of the $B$ meson. The derivation requires a careful treatment of endpoint-divergent convolutions common to subleading-power factorization formulas. We find that the decay amplitude is sensitive to two- and three-particle light-cone distribution amplitudes of the $B$ meson as well as to a new hadronic parameter $F(\mu,\Lambda)$, which generalizes the notion of the $B$-meson decay constant in the presence of QED effects. This is the first derivation of a subleading-power factorization theorem in which the soft functions are non-perturbative hadronic matrix elements.