Form factors of $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+$ within light-cone QCD sum rules

Abstract

In this work, we calculated the form factors of the weak decay process $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+$, where the final charm baryon represents an excited state with spin-parity $\frac{1}{2}^-$. Utilizing the light-cone QCD sum rules approach, we incorporated the contributions of the lowest two charm baryon states: the ground state $\Lambda_c$ with $J^P=\frac{1}{2}^+$ and the excited state $\Lambda_c(2595)^+$ with $J^P=\frac{1}{2}^-$ in the hadronic representation of the $\Lambda_b \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+$ transition correlation function. This approach allows us to extract the form factors of the $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+$ from $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c^+$ transition. During the light-cone QCD sum rules procedure, we employed the light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs) of the $\Lambda_b$ baryon. Furthermore, by combining these form factors with the helicity amplitudes of the bottom baryon transition matrix elements, we calculated the differential decay widths for the processes $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+\ell^-\bar{\nu}_\ell$ and provided the optimal choice of the interpolating current for $\Lambda_c$ in this process. Additionally, within the lifetime of $\Lambda_b^0$, we obtained the absolute branching fractions for the semileptonic decays $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+ \ell^- \bar{\nu}_\ell$. With the branching fractions of $\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+ \ell^- \bar{\nu}_\ell$ calculated in this work, we also determined the parameter $R(\Lambda_c(2595)^+)$ which tests the lepton flavor universality. This parameter is defined as the ratio of branching fractions $Br(\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+\tau^-\bar{\nu}_\tau)$ and $Br(\Lambda_b^0 \to \Lambda_c(2595)^+\mu^-\bar{\nu}_\mu)$. Our results provide a valuable theoretical test for these decay channels and offer insights into the LCDAs of bottom baryons, paving the way for further in-depth investigations.