Aspects of QCD Factorization

Abstract

The QCD factorization approach provides the theoretical basis for a systematic analysis of nonleptonic decay amplitudes of B mesons in the heavy-quark limit. After recalling the basic ideas underlying this formalism, several tests of QCD factorization in the decays B -> D^(*) L, B -> K^* gamma, and B -> pi K,pi pi are discussed. It is then illustrated how factorization can be used to obtain new constraints on the parameters of the unitarity triangle.

Comments: Talk presented at the Workshop on QCD: Theory and Experiment (Martina Franca, Italy, 16--20 June 2001), and at the 9th Symposium on Heavy Flavour Physics (Pasadena, CA, 10--13 September 2001); 12 pages, 4 figures, uses aipproc style file