Rare decay K+ --> pi+ nunu at the next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD

New physics searches at kaon and hyperon factories

Rare meson decays are among the most sensitive probes of both heavy and light new physics. Among them, new physics searches using kaons benefit from their small total decay widths and the availability of very large datasets. On the other hand, useful complementary information is provided by hyperon decay measurements. We summarize the relevant phenomenological models and the status of the searches in a comprehensive list of kaon and hyperon decay channels. We identify new search strategies for under-explored signatures, and demonstrate that the improved sensitivities from current and next-generation experiments could lead to a qualitative leap in the exploration of light dark sectors.

Quark flavour observables in the Littlest Higgs model with T-parity after LHC Run 1

The Littlest Higgs model with T-parity (LHT) belongs to the simplest new physics scenarios with new sources of flavour and CP violation. The latter originate in the interactions of ordinary quarks and leptons with heavy mirror quarks and leptons that are mediated by new heavy gauge bosons. Also a heavy fermionic top partner is present in this model which communicates with the SM fermions by means of standard [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] gauge bosons. We present a new analysis of quark flavour observables in the LHT model in view of the oncoming flavour precision era. We use all available information on the CKM parameters, lattice QCD input and experimental data on quark flavour observables and corresponding theoretical calculations, taking into account new lower bounds on the symmetry breaking scale and the mirror quark masses from the LHC. We investigate by how much the branching ratios for a number of rare K and B decays are still allowed to depart from their SM values. This includes [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. Taking into account the constraints from [Formula: see text] processes, significant departures from the SM predictions for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are possible, while the effects in B decays are much smaller. In particular, the LHT model favours [Formula: see text], which is not supported by the data, and the present anomalies in [Formula: see text] decays cannot be explained in this model. With the recent lattice and large N input the imposition of the [Formula: see text] constraint implies a significant suppression of the branching ratio for [Formula: see text] with respect to its SM value while allowing only for small modifications of [Formula: see text]. Finally, we investigate how the LHT physics could be distinguished from other models by means of indirect measurements and discuss the consequences for quark flavour observables of not finding any LHT state in the coming years.

Towards the identification of new physics through quark flavour violating processes

We outline a systematic strategy that should help in this decade to identify new physics (NP) beyond the standard model (SM) by means of quark flavour violating processes, and thereby extend the picture of short distance physics down to scales as short as 10(-20) m and even shorter distance scales corresponding to energies of 100 TeV. Rather than using all of the possible flavour-violating observables that will be measured in the coming years at the LHC, SuperKEKB and in Kaon physics dedicated experiments at CERN, J-PARC and Fermilab, we concentrate on those observables that are theoretically clean and very sensitive to NP. Assuming that the data on the selected observables will be very precise, we stress the importance of correlations between these observables as well as of future precise calculations of non-perturbative parameters by means of lattice QCD simulations with dynamical fermions. Our strategy consists of twelve steps, which we will discuss in detail while illustrating the possible outcomes with the help of the SM, models with constrained minimal flavour violation (CMFV), MFV at large and models with tree-level flavour changing neutral currents mediated by neutral gauge bosons and scalars. We will also briefly summarize the status of a number of concrete models. We propose DNA charts that exhibit correlations between flavour observables in different NP scenarios. Models with new left-handed and/or right-handed currents and non-MFV interactions can be distinguished transparently in this manner. We emphasize the important role of the stringent CMFV relations between various observables as standard candles of flavour physics. The pattern of deviations from these relations may help in identifying the correct NP scenario. The success of this program will be very much facilitated through direct signals of NP at the LHC, even if the LHC will not be able to probe the physics at scales shorter than 4 × 10(-20) m. We also emphasize the importance of lepton flavour violation, electric dipole moments, and (g - 2)e, μ in these studies.

Charm-quark contribution to KL-->mu+mu- at next-to-next-to-leading order

We calculate the charm-quark contribution to the decay K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-) in next-to-next-to-leading order of QCD. This new contribution reduces the theoretical uncertainty in the relevant parameter P(c) from +/-22% down to +/-7%, corresponding to scale uncertainties of +/-3% and +/-6% in the short-distance part of the branching ratio and the determination of the Wolfenstein parameter rho[over] from K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-) The error in P(c)=0.115+/-0.018 is now in equal shares due to the combined scale uncertainties and the current uncertainty in the charm-quark mass. We find B(K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)) SD=(0.79+/-0.12)x10(-9), with the present uncertainty in the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa element V(td) being the dominant individual source in the quoted error.