In a sample of 471×106 BB¯ events collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- collider we study the rare decays B→K(*)l+l-, where l+l- is either e+e- or ?+?-. We report results on partial branching fractions and isospin asymmetries in seven bins of dilepton mass-squared. We further present CP and lepton-flavor asymmetries for dilepton masses below and above the J/? resonance. We find no evidence for CP or lepton-flavor violation. The partial branching fractions and isospin asymmetries are consistent with the Standard Model predictions and with results from other experiments.

We present measurements of the flavor-changing neutral current decays B {yields} K{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} and B {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}, where {ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} is either an e{sup +}e{sup -} or {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -} pair. The data sample comprises 229 x 10{sup 6} {Upsilon}(4S) {yields} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e{sup +}e{sup -} storage ring. Flavor-changing neutral current decays are highly suppressed in the Standard Model and their predicted properties could be significantly modified by new physics at the electroweak scale. We measure the branching fractions {Beta}(B {yields} K{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}) = (0.34 {+-} 0.07 {+-} 0.02) x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}(B {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}) = (0.78{sub -0.17}{sup +0.19} {+-} 0.11) x 10{sup -6}, the direct CP asymmetries of these decays, and the relative abundances of decays to electrons and muons. For two regions in {ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} mass, above and below m{sub J/{psi}}, we measure partial branching fractions and the forward-backward angular asymmetry of the lepton pair. In these same regions we also measure the K* longitudinal polarization in B {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} decays. Upper limits are obtained for the lepton flavor-violating decays B {yields} Ke{mu} and B {yields} K*e{mu}. All measurements are consistent with Standard Model expectations.

This dissertation describes studies of the rare decays B{sub d} {yields} K{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} and B{sub d} {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}, where {ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -} is either an e{sup +}e{sup -} or a {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -} pair. These decays are highly suppressed in the Standard Model, and could be strongly affected by physics beyond the Standard Model. The authors measure the total branching fractions {Beta}(B{sub d} {yields} K{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}) = (0.34 {+-} 0.07 {+-} 0.03) x 10{sup -6}, {Beta}(B{sub d} {yields} K*{ell}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}) = (0.78{sub -0.17}{sup +0.19} {+-} 0.12) x 10{sup -6}. In addition, they measure the partial branching fractions, relative abundance of muons to electrons, direct CP asymmetry, dilepton forward-backward asymmetry, and longitudinal polarization of the K* in these modes. They also search for the lepton flavor-violating decays B{sub d} {yields} Ke{sup {+-}}{mu}{sup {-+}} and B{sub d} {yields} K*e{sup {+-}}{mu}{sup {-+}}. The measurements were performed at the SLAC PEP II storage ring running at the {Upsilon}(4S) resonance.

The authors report the measurement of the branching fractions of the rare decays B° → D{sub s}{sup (*)+}?−, B° → D{sub s}{sup (*)+}?−, and B° → D{sub s}{sup (*)-} K{sup (*)+} in a sample of 381 x 106?(4S) decays into B{bar B} pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy ee− storage ring. They present evidence for the decay B° → D{sub s}− K*+ and the vector-vector decays B° → D{sub s}{sup *+}?− and B° → D{sub s}{sup *-} K{sup *+}, as well as the first measurement of the vector meson polarization in these decays. They also determine the ratios of the CM-suppressed to CKM-favored amplitudes r(D{sup (*)}?) and r(D{sup (*)}?) in decays B° → D{sup (*)}{sup {+-}}?{sup {-+}} and B° → D{sup (*)}{sup {+-}}?{sup {-+}}, and comment on the prospects for measuring the Cp observable sin(2? +?).