Fourth generation effects in rare exclusive B -> K^* l^+ l^- decay

Abstract

Influence of the fourth generation, if ever exists, on the experimentally measurable quantities such as invariant dilepton mass distribution, lepton forward-backward asymmetry, and the ratio (Gamma_L/Gamma_T) of the decay widths when K* meson is longitudinally and transversally polarized, is studied. Using the experimental results on the branching ratios for the (B -> X_s) gamma and semileptonic (B -> X_c l nu) decays, the two possible solutions of the 4x4 Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa factor (V_{t's} V_{t^'b}) are obtained as a function of the t'-quark mass. It is observed that the results for the above-mentioned physical quantities are essentially different from the standard model predictions only for one solution of the CKM factor. In this case the above-mentioned physical quantities can serve as efficient tools in search of the fourth generation. The other solution yields almost identical results with the SM.