Framework for identification of neutralBmesons

We introduce a method for the study of CP-violating asymmetries in tagged states of neutral B mesons with arbitrary coherence properties. A set of time-dependent measurements is identified which completely specifies the density matrix of the initial state in a two-component space with basis vectors ${\mathit{B}}^0$ and B¯ ${}_{}{}^0{}_{}{}^{}$, and permits a determination of phases in the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. For a given tagging configuration, the measurement of decays both to flavor eigenstates and to CP eigenstates provides the necessary information.