Heavy quarks and the CKM matrix

In the last decade, the LEP experiments played a central role in the study of B hadrons (hadrons containing a b quark). New B hadrons have been observed (B0s, ΛB, Ξb and B∗∗) and their production and decay properties have been measured. In this paper we will focus on measurements of the CKM matrix elements: |Vcb|, |Vub|, |Vtd| and |Vts|. We will show how all these measurements, together with theoretical developments, have significantly improved our knowledge on the flavour sector of the Standard Model. To cite this article: P. Kluit, A. Stocchi, C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 1203–1210.