Resolution of $R_D$/$R_{D^*}$ puzzle

Abstract

One of the exciting results in flavor physics in recent times is the $R_D$/$R_{D^*}$ puzzle. The measurements of these flavor ratios performed by the B-factory experiments, BaBar and Belle, and the LHCb experiment are about $4\sigma$ away from the Standard Model expectation. These measurements indicate that the mechanism of $b\rightarrow c\tau\bar{\nu}$ decay is not identical to that of $b\rightarrow c(\mu/e)\bar{\nu}$. This charge lepton universality violation is particularly intriguing because these decays occur at tree level in the Standard Model. In particular, we expect a moderately large new physics contribution to $b\rightarrow c\tau\bar{\nu}$. The different types of new physics amplitudes, which can explain the $R_D$/$R_{D^*}$ puzzle, have been identified previously. In this letter, we show that the polarization fractions of $\tau$ and $D^*$ and the angular asymmetries $A_{FB}$ and $A_{LT}$ in $B\rightarrow D^*\tau\bar{\nu}$ decay have the capability to uniquely identify the Lorentz structure of the new physics. A measurement of these four observables will lead to such an identification.