The binding energy of the excited heavy-light mesons in HQET

The binding energies of heavy-light mesons are important mass parameters in the heavy quark effective theory (HQET). In this Letter, QCD sum rule for the binding energy Λ̄e is analyzed in detail including QCD radiative corrections, for the excited heavy-light mesons with the spin-parity Jlp=12+ of the light-antiquarks, and then the masses of the excited B-mesons are estimated, up to 1/mb order. This enables us to test applicability of QCD sum rule method to excited heavy mesons, as a systematic analysis of uncertainties from sum rule itself and 1/mQ corrections is made, and more definitive data become available.