Algebraic Content of Chiral Symmetry and the Strong Transitions of Heavy Mesons

Abstract

The algebraic content of chiral symmetry constrains the strong interactions of mesons containing a single heavy quark. We show that the S-wave single-pion transition amplitudes of all heavy meson states are determined as a consequence of the participation of these states in reducible multiplets of unbroken $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R$. We find this representation content by making use of phenomenologically inspired Lie-algebraic sum rules, together with QCD constraints on the heavy meson spectrum in the heavy quark limit. For example, the transition amplitude for the process $P^*\rightarrow P\pi$, where $P$ is a $D$ or a $B$ meson, is predicted to vanish. We also consider the Kaon system in light of our general conclusions for $I=\oneh$ states.