No Arabic abstract
We estimate B(K -> pi nu nubar) in the context of the Standard Model by fitting for lambda_t = Vtd x V*ts of the `kaon unitarity triangle relation. We fit data from epsilon_K, the CP-violating parameter describing K-mixing, and a_{psi K}, the CP-violating asymmetry in B -> J/psi K decays. Our estimate is independent of the CKM matrix element Vcb and of the ratio of Bs to Bd mixing frequencies. The measured value of B(K+ -> pi+ nu nubar) can be compared both to this estimate and to predictions made from the ratio of B mixing frequencies.
The results and goals of experiments E787, E949, CKM and KOPIO on the measurement of the branching fractions of K+ -> pi+,nu,nubar and K0L -> pi0,nu,nubar are presented.
We calculate the charm quark contribution to the rare decay K+ -> pi+ nu anti-nu in the next-to-next-to-leading order of QCD. This new contribution reduces the theoretical uncertainty in the relevant parameter Pc from +/- 10.1% down to +/- 2.4%, corresponding to scale uncertainties of +/- 1.3%, +/- 1.0%, +/- 0.006 and +/- 1.2 degrees in BR(K+ -> pi+ nu anti-nu) and in |V_td|, sin(2 beta) and gamma extracted from the K -> pi nu anti-nu system. The error in Pc = 0.37 +/- 0.04 is now fully dominated by the current uncertainty of +/- 3.8% in the charm quark mass mc. We find BR(K+ -> pi+ nu anti-nu) = (8.0 +/- 1.1) * 10^-11, where the quoted error stems almost entirely from the present uncertainties in mc and the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa elements.
A search for additional evidence for the rare kaon decay K^+ --> pi^+ nu nubar has been made with a new data set comparable in sensitivity to the previous exposure that produced a single event.
The first search for the decay K^+ -> pi^+ pi^0 nu nubar has been performed with the E787 detector at BNL. Based on zero events observed in the kinematical search region defined by 90 MeV/c < P_{pi^+} < 188 MeV/c and 135 MeV < E_{pi^0} < 180 MeV, an upper limit B(K^+ -> pi^+ pi^0 nu nubar) < 4.3 x 10^{-5} at 90% confidence level is established.
Three events for the decay K+ => pi+,nu,nubar have been observed in the pion momentum region below the K+ => pi+,pi0 peak, 140 < P_pi < 199 MeV/c, with an estimated background of 0.93+-0.17(stat.)+0.32-0.24(syst.) events. Combining this observation with previously reported results yields a branching ratio of B(K+ => pi+,nu,nubar) = (1.73+1.15-1.05)e-10 consistent with the standard model prediction.