Precision calculations of $B\to K^*$ form factors from SCET sum rules beyond leading-power contributions

Abstract: We employ vacuum-to-$B$ meson correlation functions with interpolating currents $\bar{q}'\slashed{n}q$ and $\bar{q}'\slashed{n}\gamma_{\perp}q$ to construct light-cone sum rules (LCSR) for calculating the $B\to K^*$ form factors in the large recoil region. We investigate several subleading-power corrections to these form factors at tree level, including the next-to-leading power contributions from the hard-collinear propagator, the subleading power corrections from the effective current $\bar{q}\Gamma[i\slashed{D}{\perp}/(2m_b)]h_v$, and four-body higher-twist effects. By utilizing the available leading-power results at $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s)$ and the power corrections from higher-twist $B$-meson light-cone distribution amplitudes from our previous work, we further derive the improved numerical predictions for $B\to K^*$ form factors by applying the three-parameter model for $B$-meson light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs). The subleading-power contribution is about $30\%$ relative to the corresponding leading-power result. Taking the well-adopted Bourrely-Caprini-Lellouch (BCL) parametrization, we then provide the numerical results of $B\to K^*$ form factors in the entire kinematic range, by adopting the combined fit to both LCSR predictions and lattice QCD results. Taking advantage of the newly obtained $B\to K^*$ form factors, we analyse the rare exclusive decay $B \to K^* \nu\ell\bar{\nu}\ell$ and estimate the Standard Model predictions of $\mathcal{BR}(\bar{B}^0 \to \bar{K}^{*0} \nu\ell\bar{\nu}\ell)=7.54(86)\times 10^{-6}$, $\mathcal{BR}(\bar{B}^+ \to \bar{K}^{*+} \nu\ell\bar{\nu}_\ell)=9.35(94)\times 10^{-6}$ and longitudinal $K^*$ polarization fraction $F_L=0.44(4)$.