Probing new physics in $$B \rightarrow D \ell ^+ \ell ^-$$ B → D ℓ + ℓ - decays by using angular asymmetries

Abstract We present a fully general, model-independent study of a few rare semileptonic B decays that get dominant contributions from W-annihilation and W-exchange diagrams, in particular $$B^0 \rightarrow \overline{D}{} ^0 \ell ^+\ell ^-$$ B 0 → D ¯ 0 ℓ + ℓ - , where $$\ell = e,\mu $$ ℓ = e , μ . We consider the most general Lagrangian for the decay, and define three angular asymmetries in the Gottfried–Jackson frame, which are sensitive to new physics. We show how these angular asymmetries can easily be extracted from the distribution of events in the Dalitz plot for $$B \rightarrow D \ell ^+ \ell ^-$$ B → D ℓ + ℓ - decays. Especially a non-zero forward–backward asymmetry within the frame would give the very first hint of possible new physics. These observations are also true for related decay modes, such as $$B^+ \rightarrow D^+ \ell ^+ \ell ^-$$ B + → D + ℓ + ℓ - and $$B^0 \rightarrow D^0 \ell ^+ \ell ^-$$ B 0 → D 0 ℓ + ℓ - . Moreover, these asymmetry signatures are not affected by either $$B^0 $$ B 0 – $$\overline{B}^0$$ B ¯ 0 or $$D^0 $$ D 0 – $$\overline{D}^0$$ D ¯ 0 mixings. Then this implies that both $$B^0 \rightarrow \overline{D}{} ^0 \ell ^+ \ell ^-$$ B 0 → D ¯ 0 ℓ + ℓ - and $$B^0 \rightarrow D^0 \ell ^+ \ell ^-$$ B 0 → D 0 ℓ + ℓ - as well as their CP conjugate modes can all be considered together in our search for signature of new physics. Hence, it would be of great importance to look for and study these decays in the laboratory, LHCb and Belle II in particular.