f_B and f_B_s from QCD sum rules

Abstract

The decay constants of the pseudoscalar mesons B and B_s are evaluated from QCD sum rules for the pseudoscalar two-point function. Recently calculated perturbative three-loop QCD corrections are incorporated into the sum rule. An analysis in terms of the bottom quark pole mass turns out to be unreliable due to large higher order radiative corrections. On the contrary, in the MS_bar scheme the higher order corrections are under good theoretical control and a reliable determination of f_B and f_{B_s} becomes feasible. Including variations of all input parameters within reasonable ranges, our final results for the pseudoscalar meson decay constants are f_B = 210 +- 19 MeV and f_B_s = 244 +- 21 MeV. Employing additional information on the product sqrt(B_B) f_B from global fits to the unitarity triangle, we are in a position to also extract the B-meson B-parameter B_B = 1.26 +- 0.45. Our results are well compatible with analogous determinations of the above quantities in lattice QCD.