Predictions for $b$-baryon lifetimes at NNLO-QCD

Abstract

Motivated by recent and forthcoming experimental progress, we provide updated predictions for the total decay rates of $b$-baryons, their lifetime ratios and their lifetimes normalised to that of the $B^0_d$ meson within the framework of the heavy quark expansion (HQE). We include, for the first time, next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD corrections to the free $b$-quark decay, which significantly reduce the theoretical uncertainties in the total decay rates. In addition, we also include, for the first time, the complete next-to-leading-order QCD corrections to the dimension-five contributions. While these corrections have only a minor effect on the total decay rates, they induce a sizeable shift in the lifetime ratios, improving the agreement between HQE predictions and experimental data. Overall, we find excellent agreement between the HQE predictions and current experimental measurements for both total decay rates and lifetime ratios within the quoted uncertainties.