Relativistic description of exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons

Using the quasipotential approach, we study exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons taking into account relativistic effects. Because of a more complete relativistic description of the s quark, more precise expressions for semileptonic form factors are obtained. Various differential distributions in exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons are calculated. It is argued that a consistent account of relativistic effects and a heavy quark effective theory motivated choice of the parameters of the quark-antiquark potential allow one to get a reliable value for the ratio A2(0)/A1(0) in the D→K*lνl decay as well as the ratio Γ(D→K*lνl)/Γ(D→Klνl). All calculated branching ratios are in accord with available experimental data. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society