Semileptonic $B\to D$ and $B\to D^*$ Decays from the Lattice

Abstract

We obtain form factors relevant for semileptonic $B\to D$ and $B\to D^*$ decays from a quenched lattice QCD calculation. Our results enable us to test Heavy-Quark Symmetry, determine the Isgur-Wise function as well as obtain the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element $V_{cb}$ from a measurement, by the CLEO collaboration, of the differential decay rate for semileptonic $B\to D^*$ decays. We find that the Isgur-Wise function has a slope of $-(0.9\er{4}{4})$ at zero recoil and that $|V_{cb}|K(1)=0.037\er{1}{1}\er{4}{2}\; (0.99/(1+\b_{A_1}(1)))$, where the first set of errors is due to experimental uncertainties and the second to our errors on $\rho^2$. Here $K(1)$ and $\b_{A_1}(1)$ denote respectively power and radiative corrections at zero recoil.