Light meson physics at BESIII.

Shuang-Shi Fang

doi:10.1093/nsr/nwab052

Abstract

Studies of light meson decays are important tools to perform precision tests of the effective field theories, determine transition form factors and test fundamental symmetries. With very high statistics data samples, the Beijing Spectrometer III (BESIII) experiment provides a unique laboratory for light meson studies and is contributing significantly to a variety of these investigations. A brief review of recent progress in light meson decay studied at the BESIII experiment, including detailed studies of common decay dynamics, searches for rare/forbidden decays and new particles, is presented. Finally, together with descriptions of different experimental techniques, prospects for future studies of light mesons are discussed in some detail.

Highlights

The discoveries of light mesons and detailed studies of their decays have played crucial roles in the development of our understanding of elementary particle physics
The BESIII data sample of e+e− annihilation events at energies between 2.0 and 3.08 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 650 pb−1 allows for explorations of properties of the light vector mesons, in particular the vector strangeonium states
Scalar mesons copiously produced in these decays are further evidences that the BESIII experiment is a unique facility for understanding the controversial nature of these particles

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The discoveries of light mesons and detailed studies of their decays have played crucial roles in the development of our understanding of elementary particle physics. About seven decades since the discovery of the first light mesons (the pion and kaon), studies of light meson decays continue to provide opportunities for a variety of physics at low energy scales, including precision tests of effective field theories, investigations of the quark structure of the light mesons, tests of the fundamental symmetries, and searches for new particles. The BESIII data sample of e+e− annihilation events at energies between 2.0 and 3.08 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 650 pb−1 allows for explorations of properties of the light vector mesons, in particular the vector strangeonium states

PRECISION TESTS OF QCD AT LOW ENERGIES

Transition form factors of light mesons

QUARK STRUCTURE OF LIGHT SCALAR MESONS

PRECISION TESTS OF FUNDAMENTAL SYMMETRIES

SUMMARY AND PROSPECTS