CKM Matrix Research Articles

Ratio of kaon and pion leptonic decay constants with Nf=2+1+1 Wilson-clover twisted-mass fermions

We present a determination of the ratio of kaon and pion leptonic decay constants in isosymmetric QCD (isoQCD), $f_K / f_\pi$, making use of the gauge ensembles produced by the Extended Twisted Mass Collaboration (ETMC) with $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ flavors of Wilson-clover twisted-mass quarks, including configurations close to the physical point for all dynamical flavors. The simulations are carried out at three values of the lattice spacing ranging from $\sim 0.068$ to $\sim 0.092$ fm with linear lattice size up to $L \sim 5.5$~fm. The scale is set by the PDG value of the pion decay constant, $f_\pi^{isoQCD} = 130.4~(2)$ MeV, at the isoQCD pion point, $M_\pi^{isoQCD} = 135.0~(2)$ MeV, obtaining for the gradient-flow (GF) scales the values $w_0 = 0.17383~(63)$ fm, $\sqrt{t_0} = 0.14436~(61)$ fm and $t_0 / w_0 = 0.11969~(62)$ fm. The data are analyzed within the framework of SU(2) Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) without resorting to the use of renormalized quark masses. At the isoQCD kaon point $M_K^{isoQCD} = 494.2~(4)$ MeV we get $(f_K / f_\pi)^{isoQCD} = 1.1995~(44)$, where the error includes both statistical and systematic uncertainties. Implications for the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element $|V_{us}|$ and for the first-row CKM unitarity are discussed.

Higher-twist corrections to the form factors from light-cone sum rules * *Supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11675082, 11735010) and the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (19JCJQJC61100)

We calculate the transition form factors within the framework of the light-cone QCD sum rules (LCSR) with the D-meson light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs). The next-to-leading power (NLP) corrections to the vacuum-to-D-meson correlation function are considered, and the NLP corrections from the high-twist D-meson LCDAs and the SU(3) breaking effect from a strange quark mass are investigated. Adopting the exponential model of the D-meson LCDAs, the SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking effects are predicted as and , respectively, confirming the results obtained from LCSR with pion LCDA. The numerical predictions of the form factors show that the contribution from two-particle higher-twist contributions is of great importance and the uncertainties are dominated by the inverse moment of . With the obtained form factors, the predicted Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements are and .

Electroweak baryogenesis from light fermion sources: A critical study

Electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG) is sourced by nonstandard $CP$-violating interactions of the Higgs boson with fermions, usually taken to be the top quark, enhanced by its large Yukawa coupling. Numerous papers have studied EWBG sourced by lighter fermions, including the tau lepton and off-diagonal quark mass terms. We critically reassess the viability of EWBG in these scenarios, comparing the predictions based on the semiclassical (WKB) formalism for the source term to those from the VEV insertion approximation (VIA), using updated values for the collision terms, and clarifying discrepancies in the definition of the weak sphaleron rate. The VIA systematically predicts a baryon asymmetry that is orders of magnitude larger than the WKB formalism. We trace this to the differing shapes of the $CP$-violating source terms in the two formalisms, showing that the additional spatial derivative in the WKB source term causes large cancellations when it is integrated over the bubble wall profile. An important exception is a source term from $c$-$t$ quark mixing, where the WKB prediction also allows for a realistically large baryon asymmetry. In contrast, the analogous $b$-$s$ mixing source is found to be orders of magnitude too small.

Quark and lepton flavor model with leptoquarks in a modular A_4 symmetry

We propose a quark-lepton model via leptoquarks and modular A_4 symmetry. Since the neutrino mass is induced at one-loop level mediated by down quarks as well as leptoquarks, we have to explain lepton and quark masses and mixings with a single modulus tau . Here, we find predictions for lepton and quark sectors with unified modulus tau , and show several constraints originating from leptoquarks.

First-generation new physics in simplified models: from low-energy parity violation to the LHC

New-physics (NP) constraints on first-generation quark-lepton interactions are particularly interesting given the large number of complementary processes and observables that have been measured. Recently, first hints for such NP effects have been observed as an apparent deficit in first-row CKM unitarity, known as the Cabibbo angle anomaly, and the CMS excess in qoverline{q} → e+e−. Since the same NP would inevitably enter in searches for low-energy parity violation, such as atomic parity violation, parity-violating electron scattering, and coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering, as well as electroweak precision observables, a combined analysis is required to assess the viability of potential NP interpretations. In this article we investigate the interplay between LHC searches, the Cabibbo angle anomaly, electroweak precision observables, and low-energy parity violation by studying all simplified models that give rise to tree-level effects related to interactions between first-generation quarks and leptons. Matching these models onto Standard Model effective field theory, we derive master formulae in terms of the respective Wilson coefficients, perform a complete phenomenological analysis of all available constraints, point out how parity violation can in the future be used to disentangle different NP scenarios, and project the constraints achievable with forthcoming experiments.

Are the CKM anomalies induced by vector-like quarks? Limits from flavor changing and Standard Model precision tests

Recent high precision determinations of Vus and Vud indicate towards anomalies in the first row of the CKM matrix. Namely, determination of Vud from beta decays and of Vus from kaon decays imply a violation of first row unitarity at about 3σ level. Moreover, there is tension between determinations of Vus obtained from leptonic Kμ2 and semileptonic Kℓ3 kaon decays. These discrepancies can be explained if there exist extra vector-like quarks at the TeV scale, which have large enough mixings with the lighter quarks. In particular, extra vector-like weak singlets quarks can be thought as a solution to the CKM unitarity problem and an extra vector-like weak doublet can in principle resolve all tensions. The implications of this kind of mixings are examined against the flavour changing phenomena and SM precision tests. We consider separately the effects of an extra down-type isosinglet, up-type isosinglet and an isodoublet containing extra quarks of both up and down type, and determine available parameter spaces for each case. We find that the experimental constraints on flavor changing phenomena become more stringent with larger masses, so that the extra species should have masses no more than few TeV. Moreover, only one type of extra multiplet cannot entirely explain all the discrepancies, and some their combination is required, e.g. two species of isodoublet, or one isodoublet and one (up or down type) isosinglet. We show that these scenarios are testable with future experiments. Namely, if extra vector-like quarks are responsible for CKM anomalies, then at least one of them should be found at scale of few TeV, and anomalous weak isospin violating Z-boson couplings with light quarks should be detected if the experimental precision on Z hadronic decay rate is improved by a factor of 2 or so.

Almost exact diagonal reflection symmetries and three-zero texture

In this paper, we consider the three-zero texture with diagonal reflection symmetries in the SM. The three-zero texture has two less assumptions ((Mu)11,(Mν)11≠0) than the universal four-zero texture of mass matrices (Mf)11=(Mf)13,31=0 for f=u,d,ν,e. The texture allows diagonal reflection symmetries to be almost exact and d-e unification. They reproduce the CKM and MNS matrices with accuracies of O(10−4) and O(10−3). By using perturbative approximations of the diagonalization, two relations with good accuracy for quark mass and mixing are obtained. Although this calculation is done in a special basis, it is a general result in a sense, because other textures and generalized CP symmetries exist by some weak basis transformation.By assuming a d-e unified relation (Md∼Me), we obtain the lightest neutrino mass m1≃2.12−5.64[meV] and the effective mass of the double beta decay |mee|≃1.23−2.15[meV].

Recent top quark measurements with the CMS experiment

Latest results on top quark pair and single top quark production cross sections (inclusive and differential) are presented using proton-proton collision data collected by CMS. The results are used to constrain the standard model parameters. For the first time, the third row of the CKM matrix is measured from single top quark events and multidifferential cross sections are used to constrain simultaneously the top quark pole mass, α S , and PDFs. Moreover, recent results on top quark properties, such as mass measurements or constraints on top Yukawa from differential cross sections are also presented.

The role of non-universal Z couplings in explaining the Vus anomaly

The tension among measurements of Vus from different channels, the so-called Cabibbo Angle Anomaly, can be interpreted as a signal of lepton flavor universality (LFU) violation in the W boson couplings. We investigate this issue in the framework of effective field theory, keeping the gauge structure of the Standard Model (SM) unchanged. We introduce gauge-invariant dimension-6 effective operators that couple the Higgs doublet to leptons, thereby giving non-universal tree-level contributions to the couplings of electroweak gauge bosons. Due to the SU(2)L gauge symmetry, a tension arises between the Vus measurements that are affected by new W couplings, and the electroweak precision measurements, which are also affected by the new Z couplings. We show that this tension can be alleviated by allowing additional sources of gauge-invariant couplings of Z boson to left- or right-handed leptons, and find the optimal regions indicated by the current data in the Wilson-coefficient space. We illustrate our model-independent results with the examples of minimal extensions of the SM involving the vector-like lepton (VLL) models. We point out that dimension-6 operators coupling the Higgs doublet to leptons can affect the rate of h→ττ decay significantly in general, however this effect is restricted to less than a per cent level for the minimal VLL models.

Electroweak axial structure functions and improved extraction of the Vud CKM matrix element

We present a comprehensive analysis of the $\gamma W$ interference radiative correction to the neutron $\beta$-decay matrix element. Within a dispersion relations approach, we compute the axial-vector part of the $\gamma W$ box amplitude $\Box^{\gamma W}_{A}$ in terms of the isoscalar part of the $F_3^{\gamma W}$ interference structure function. Using the latest available phenomenology for $F_3^{\gamma W}$ from the nucleon elastic, resonance, deep-inelastic, and Regge regions, we find the real part of the box correction to be $\Box^{\gamma W}_A = 3.90(9) \times 10^{-3}$. This improved correction gives a theoretical estimate of the CKM matrix element $|V_{ud}|^2=0.94805(26)$, which represents a 4$\sigma$ violation of unitarity.

Fermi Constant from Muon Decay Versus Electroweak Fits and Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa Unitarity.

The Fermi constant G_{F} is extremely well measured through the muon lifetime, defining one of the key fundamental parameters in the standard model (SM). Therefore, to search for physics beyond the SM (BSM) via G_{F}, the constraining power is determined by the precision of the second-best independent determination of G_{F}. The best alternative extractions of G_{F} proceed either via the global electroweak (EW) fit or from superallowed β decays in combination with the Cabibbo angle measured in kaon, τ, or D decays. Both variants display some tension with G_{F} from muon decay, albeit in opposite directions, reflecting the known tensions within the EW fit and hints for the apparent violation of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity, respectively. We investigate how BSM physics could bring the three determinations of G_{F} into agreement using SM effective field theory and comment on future perspectives.

Minimal Explanation of Flavor Anomalies: B-Meson Decays, Muon Magnetic Moment, and the Cabibbo Angle.

Significant deviations from the standard model are observed in semileptonic charged and neutral-current B decays, the muon magnetic moment, and the extraction of the Cabibbo angle. We propose that these deviations point towards a coherent pattern of new physics effects induced by two scalar mediators, a leptoquark S_{1} and a charged singlet ϕ^{+}. While S_{1} can provide solutions to charged-current B decays and the muon magnetic moment, and ϕ^{+} can accommodate the Cabibbo-angle anomaly independently, their one-loop level synergy can also address neutral-current B decays. This framework provides the most minimal explanation to the above-mentioned anomalies, while being consistent with all other phenomenological constraints.

Anomalous Z\u2032 bosons for anomalous B decays

Motivated by the intriguing discrepancies in b → sℓℓ transitions, the fermion mass problem, and a desire to preserve the accidental symmetries of the Standard Model (SM), we extend the SM by an anomalous U(1)X gauge symmetry where X = Y3 + a(Lμ− Lτ)/6. The heavy Z′ boson associated with spontaneously breaking U(1)X at the TeV scale mediates the b → sℓℓ anomalies via {mathcal{O}}_9^{mu}sim frac{1}{Lambda^2}left(overline{s}{gamma}_{rho }{P}_Lbright)left(overline{mu}{gamma}^{rho}mu right) . We show that this model, which features mixed gauge anomalies involving U(1)X and hypercharge, can be made anomaly-free for any a ∈ ℤ by integrating in a pair of charged fermions whose masses naturally reside somewhere between 1 and 30 TeV. The gauge symmetry permits only the third family Yukawas at the renormalisable level, and so the light quark masses and mixings are controlled by accidental U(2)3 flavour symmetries which we assume are minimally broken alongside U(1)X. The lepton sector is not governed by U(2) symmetries, but rather one expects a nearly diagonal charged lepton Yukawa with me,μ « mτ. The model does not explain the hierarchy me « mμ, but it does possess high quality lepton flavour symmetries that are robust to the heavy physics responsible for generating me,μ. We establish the viability of these models by checking agreement with the most important experimental constraints. We comment on how the model could also explain neutrino masses and the muon g − 2.

Quark Mass Models and Reinforcement Learning

In this paper, we apply reinforcement learning to the problem of constructing models in particle physics. As an example environment, we use the space of Froggatt-Nielsen type models for quark masses. Using a basic policy-based algorithm we show that neural networks can be successfully trained to construct Froggatt-Nielsen models which are consistent with the observed quark masses and mixing. The trained policy networks lead from random to phenomenologically acceptable models for over 90% of episodes and after an average episode length of about 20 steps. We also show that the networks are capable of finding models proposed in the literature when starting at nearby configurations.

Leptonic anomalous magnetic moments in \u03bd SMEFT

We investigate contributions to the anomalous magnetic moments of charged leptons in the neutrino-extended Standard Model Effective Field Theory (νSMEFT). We discuss how νSMEFT operators can contribute to a lepton’s magnetic moment at one- and two-loop order. We show that only one operator can account for existing electronic and muonic discrepancies, assuming new physics appears above 1 TeV. In particular, we find that a right-handed charged current in combination with minimal sterile-active mixing can explain the discrepancy for sterile neutrino masses of mathcal{O} (100) GeV while avoiding direct and indirect constraints. We discuss how searches for sterile neutrino production at the (HL-)LHC, measurements of h→μ+μ− and searches for h→e+e−, neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, and improved unitarity tests of the CKM matrix can further probe the relevant parameter space.

Combined Explanation of the Z→bb[over ¯] Forward-Backward Asymmetry, the Cabibbo Angle Anomaly, and τ→μνν and b→sℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Data.

In this Letter, we propose a simple model that can provide a combined explanation of the Z→bb[over ¯] forward-backward asymmetry, the Cabibbo angle anomaly (CAA), τ→μνν and b→sℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} data. This model is obtained by extending the standard model (SM) by two heavy vectorlike quarks (an SU(2)_{L} doublet (singlet) with hypercharge -5/6 (-1/3), two new scalars (a neutral and a singly charged one), and a gauged L_{μ}-L_{τ} symmetry. The mixing of the new quarks with the SM ones, after electroweak symmetry breaking, does not only explain Z→bb[over ¯] data, but also generates a lepton flavor universal contribution to b→sℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} transitions. Together with the lepton flavor universality violating effect, generated by loop-induced Z^{'} penguins involving the charged scalar and the heavy quarks, it gives an excellent fit to data (6.1σ better than the SM). Furthermore, the charged scalar (neutral vector) gives a necessarily constructive tree-level (loop) effect in μ→eνν (τ→μνν), which can naturally account for the CAA (Br[τ→μνν]/Br[τ→eνν] and Br[τ→μνν]/Br[μ→eνν]).

Mapping out the space for new physics with leptonic and semileptonic B_{(c)} decays

Decays of B mesons with leptons in the final state offer an interesting laboratory to search for possible effects of physics from beyond the Standard Model. In view of puzzling patterns in experimental data, the violation of lepton flavour universality is an interesting option. We present a strategy, utilising ratios of leptonic and semileptonic B decays, where the elements |V_{ub}| and |V_{cb}| of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) matrix cancel, to constrain the short-distance coefficients of (pseudo)-scalar, vector and tensor operator contributions. The individual branching ratios allow us then to extract also the CKM matrix elements, even in the presence of new-physics contributions. Bounds on unmeasured leptonic and semileptonic decays offer important additional constraints. In our comprehensive analysis, we give also predictions for decays which have not yet been measured in a variety of scenarios.

A closer look at the extraction of |Vub| from B \u2192 \u03c0\u2113\u03bd

To extract the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element |Vub|, we have re-analyzed all the available inputs (data and theory) on the B → πℓν decays including the newly available inputs on the form-factors from light cone sum rule (LCSR) approach. We have reproduced and compared the results with the procedure taken up by the Heavy Flavor Averaging Group (HFLAV), while commenting on the effect of outliers on the fits. After removing the outliers and creating a comparable group of data-sets, we mention a few scenarios in the extraction of |Vub|. In all those scenarios, the extracted values of |Vub| are higher than that obtained by HFLAV. Our best results for |Vub|exc. are (3.94 ± 0.14) × 10−3 and left({3.93}_{-0.15}^{+0.14}right) × 10−3 in frequentist and Bayesian approaches, respectively, which are consistent with that extracted from inclusive decays |Vub|inc. within 1 σ confidence interval.

CP violation and measurement of the CKM parameters in B decays

The LHCb collaboration aims at precise measurements of the parameters of the CKM matrix elements. To increase the precision, new measurements of the CKM angle γ make use of the entire dataset collected by the LHCb experiment from 2011 to 2018, which leads to a combination of γ = (67 ± 4)∘. Analyses of semileptonic B decays also allow the determination of |Vcb|, |Vub|/|Vcb| and provide experimental inputs for QCD predictions.

Highlights on top quark measurements from CMS

Recent results from the CMS Collaboration using top quarks are presented. These results are based on partial datasets collected by the CMS Collaboration during the LHC Run 2, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. This document includes the first measurement of tt‾ production in association with charm quarks, the first direct measurement of the third generation of the CKM matrix elements, the investigation of the running of the top quark mass, search for CP violation in top quark production, measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry in tt‾ production at the LHC, and the first global approach in constraining EFT operator coefficients using top quarks.