Resolving the B-> phi K^* Polarization Anomaly

Abstract

The experimental observation of sizable transverse components for B-> phi K^* decay is in strong contrast to all other VV modes, and poses a challenge to our understanding of B decay dynamics. Observing that the gluon emitted from b-> sg^{(*)} chromodipole transition is transverse, we give a heuristic model where the transverse phi descends from the emitted gluon, hence similar phenomena should occur for B-> omega K^* but not for B-> rho^0 K^*. New physics in bsg chromodipole coupling, perhaps needed for the \bar B -> phi K_S CP violation anomaly, may lead to different patterns of CP and T violation in transverse components of \bar B -> phi \bar K^*, omega \bar K^* decays.