Covariant Light-Front Approach for s-wave and p-wave Mesons: Its Application to Decay Constants and Form Factors

We study the decay constants and form factors of the ground-state s-wave and low-lying p-wave mesons within a covariant light-front approach. Numerical results of the form factors for transitions between a heavy pseudoscalar meson and an s-wave or p-wave meson and their momentum dependence are presented in detail. In particular, form factors for heavy-to-light and B to D** transitions, where D** denotes generically a p-wave charmed meson, are compared with other model calculations. The experimental measurements of the decays B^- to D** pi^- and B to D D**_s are employed to test the decay constants of D**_s and the B to D** transition form factors. The heavy quark limit behavior of the decay constants and form factors is examined and it is found that the requirement of heavy quark symmetry is satisfied. The universal Isgur-Wise (IW) functions, one for s-wave to s-wave and two for s-wave to p-wave transitions, are obtained. The values of IW functions at zero recoil and their slope parameters can be used to test the Bjorken and Uraltsev sum rules.