No Arabic abstract
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.
We summarize the current status of the determination of the CKM matrix elements |V_ud| and |V_us|, which is at the precision frontier of CKM phenomenology. We also review recent progress on the study of charm (semi)leptonic decays, and the determination of |V_cd| and |V_cs|.
We discuss the recent progress in the study of semileptonic kaon and pion decays, including new experimental results, improved electroweak radiative corrections, form factor calculations and isospin-breaking effects. As a result, we obtain $|V_{us}|=0.22309(40)(39)(3)$ from kaon semileptonic decays and $|V_{us}/V_{ud}|=0.22908(66)(41)(40)(2)(1)$ from the ratio between the kaon and pion semileptonic decay rates. We report an apparent violation of the top-row Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix unitarity at a $3.2sim 5.6sigma$ level, and a discrepancy at a $2.2sigma$ level between the value of $|V_{us}/V_{ud}|$ determined from the vector and axial charged weak interactions. Prospects for future improvements in those comparative precision tests involving $|V_{ud}|$, $|V_{us}|$ and their implications for physics beyond the Standard Model are described.
Single top quark production cross sections at hadron colliders are traditionally used to extract the modulus of the $V_{tb}$ element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix under the following assumption: $|V_{tb}| gg |V_{td}|, |V_{ts}|$. For the first time, direct limits on $|V_{td}|$ and $|V_{ts}|$ are obtained using experimental data without the assumption of the unitarity of the CKM matrix. Limits on the $|V_{td}|$, $|V_{ts}|$ and $|V_{tb}|$ are extracted from differential measurements of single top quark cross sections in $t$-channel as a function of the rapidity and transverse momentum of the top quark and the light jet recoiling against the top quark. We have shown that the pseudorapidity of the forward jet in the single top production is one of the most powerful observables for discriminating between the $|V_{td}|$ and $|V_{tb}|$ events. We perform a global fit of top quark related CKM elements to experimental data from the LHC Runs I and II and Tevatron. Experimental data include inclusive and differential single top cross sections in $t$-channel, inclusive tW production cross section, and top quark branching ratio to b quark and W boson. We present bounds on $|V_{tb}|$, $|V_{ts}|$ and $|V_{td}|$ using current data and project the results for future LHC data sets corresponding to luminosities of 300 and 3000 fb.
We will describe several pioneering efforts in the study of electromagnetic radiative corrections to semileptonic decay processes, with particular emphasis on the role of lattice QCD. These studies are essential for the precise extraction of the matrix element $V_{ud}$ from beta decays of pion, free neutron and $J^P=0^+$ nuclei, and are crucial to address several recently-emerged anomalies involving $V_{ud}$ and $V_{us}$, which may provide hints for physics beyond the Standard Model.
We review the current status of experimental and theoretical understanding of the axial nucleon structure at low and moderate energies. Topics considered include (quasi)elastic (anti)neutrino-nucleon scattering, charged pion electroproduction off nucleons and ordinary as well as radiative muon capture on the proton.