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 obs
erved as an apparent deficit in first-row CKM unitarity, known as the Cabibbo angle anomaly, and the CMS excess in $qbar qto e^+e^-$. 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.
We present an improved Standard-Model (SM) prediction for the dilepton decay of the neutral pion. The loop amplitude is determined by the pion transition form factor for $pi^0togamma^*gamma^*$, for which we employ a dispersive representation that inc
orporates both space-like and time-like data as well as short-distance constraints. The resulting SM branching fraction, $ text{BR}(pi^0to e^+e^-)=6.25(3)times 10^{-8}$ , sharpens constraints on physics beyond the SM, including pseudoscalar and axial-vector mediators.
We consider the contribution of scalar resonances to hadronic light-by-light scattering in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. While the $f_0(500)$ has already been addressed in previous work using dispersion relations, heavier scalar resonanc
es have only been estimated in hadronic models so far. Here, we compare an implementation of the $f_0(980)$ resonance in terms of the coupled-channel $S$-waves for $gamma^*gamma^*to pipi/bar K K$ to a narrow-width approximation, which indicates $a_mu^{text{HLbL}}[f_0(980)]=-0.2(2)times 10^{-11}$. With a similar estimate for the $a_0(980)$, the combined effect is thus well below $1times 10^{-11}$ in absolute value. We also estimate the contribution of heavier scalar resonances. In view of the very uncertain situation concerning their two-photon couplings we suggest to treat them together with other resonances of similar mass when imposing the matching to short-distance constraints. Our final result is a refined estimate of the $S$-wave rescattering effects in the $pi pi$ and $bar K K$ channel up to about $1.3$ GeV and including a narrow-width evaluation of the $a_0(980)$: $a_mu^text{HLbL}[text{scalars}]=-9(1)times 10^{-11}$.
With the long-standing tension between experiment and Standard-Model (SM) prediction in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon $a_mu$ recently reaffirmed by the Fermilab experiment, the crucial question becomes which other observables could be sen
sitive to the underlying physics beyond the SM to which $a_mu$ may be pointing. While from the effective field theory (EFT) point of view no direct correlations exist, this changes in specific new physics models. In particular, in the case of explanations involving heavy new particles above the electroweak (EW) scale with chiral enhancement, which are preferred to evade exclusion limits from direct searches, correlations with other observables sensitive to EW symmetry breaking are expected. Such scenarios can be classified according to the $SU(2)_L$ representations and the hypercharges of the new particles. We match the resulting class of models with heavy new scalars and fermions onto SMEFT and study the resulting correlations with $htomumu$ and $Ztomumu$ decays, where, via $SU(2)_L$ symmetry, the latter process is related to $Zto u u$ and modified $W$-$mu$-$ u$ couplings.
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 dete
rmined 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 $beta$ decays in combination with the Cabibbo angle measured in kaon, $tau$, 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 CKM 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.
At low energies hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) is strongly dominated by two-pion intermediate states, which are responsible for about $70%$ of the HVP contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_mu^text{HVP}$. Lattice-QCD evalua
tions of the latter indicate that it might be larger than calculated dispersively on the basis of $e^+e^-totext{hadrons}$ data, at a level which would contest the long-standing discrepancy with the $a_mu$ measurement. In this Letter we study to which extent this $2pi$ contribution can be modified without, at the same time, producing a conflict elsewhere in low-energy hadron phenomenology. To this end we consider a dispersive representation of the $e^+e^- to 2pi$ process and study the correlations which thereby emerge between $a_mu^text{HVP}$, the hadronic running of the fine-structure constant, the $P$-wave $pipi$ phase shift, and the charge radius of the pion. Inelastic effects play an important role, despite being constrained by the Eidelman-Lukaszuk bound. We identify scenarios in which $a_mu^text{HVP}$ can be altered substantially, driven by changes in the phase shift and/or the inelastic contribution, and illustrate the ensuing changes in the $e^+e^-to 2pi$ cross section. In the combined scenario, which minimizes the effect in the cross section, a uniform shift around $4%$ is required. At the same time both the analytic continuation into the space-like region and the pion charge radius are affected at a level that could be probed in future lattice-QCD calculations.
The cross section for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$ u$NS) depends on the response of the target nucleus to the external current, in the Standard Model (SM) mediated by the exchange of a $Z$ boson. This is typically subsumed into a
n object called the weak form factor of the nucleus. Here, we provide results for this form factor calculated using the large-scale nuclear shell model for a wide range of nuclei of relevance for current CE$ u$NS experiments, including cesium, iodine, argon, fluorine, sodium, germanium, and xenon. In addition, we provide the responses needed to capture the axial-vector part of the cross section, which does not scale coherently with the number of neutrons, but may become relevant for the SM prediction of CE$ u$NS on target nuclei with nonzero spin. We then generalize the formalism allowing for contributions beyond the SM. In particular, we stress that in this case, even for vector and axial-vector operators, the standard weak form factor does not apply anymore, but needs to be replaced by the appropriate combination of the underlying nuclear structure factors. We provide the corresponding expressions for vector, axial-vector, but also (pseudo-)scalar, tensor, and dipole effective operators, including two-body-current effects as predicted from chiral effective field theory. Finally, we update the spin-dependent structure factors for dark matter scattering off nuclei according to our improved treatment of the axial-vector responses.
One of the open issues in evaluations of the contribution from hadronic light-by-light scattering to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon $(g-2)_mu$ concerns the role of heavier scalar, axial-vector, and tensor-meson intermediate states. The cou
pling of axial vectors to virtual photons is suppressed for small virtualities by the Landau-Yang theorem, but otherwise there are few rigorous constraints on the corresponding form factors. In this paper, we first derive the Lorentz decomposition of the two-photon matrix elements into scalar functions following the general recipe by Bardeen, Tung, and Tarrach. Based on this decomposition, we then calculate the asymptotic behavior of the meson transition form factors from a light-cone expansion in analogy to the asymptotic limits for the pseudoscalar transition form factor derived by Brodsky and Lepage. Finally, we compare our results to existing data as well as previous models employed in the literature.
Hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) is not only a critical part of the Standard Model (SM) prediction for the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon $(g-2)_mu$, but also a crucial ingredient for global fits to electroweak (EW) precision observables due
to its contribution to the running of the fine-structure constant encoded in $Deltaalpha^{(5)}_text{had}$. We find that with modern EW precision data, including the measurement of the Higgs mass, the global fit alone provides a competitive, independent determination of $Delta alpha^{(5)}_text{had}big|_text{EW}=270.2(3.0)times 10^{-4}$. This value actually lies below the range derived from $e^+e^-totext{hadrons}$ cross-section data, and thus goes into the opposite direction as would be required if a change in HVP were to bring the SM prediction for $(g-2)_mu$ into agreement with the Brookhaven measurement. Depending on the energy where the bulk of the changes in the cross section occurs, reconciling experiment and SM prediction for $(g-2)_mu$ by adjusting HVP would thus not necessarily weaken the case for physics beyond the SM (BSM), but to some extent shift it from $(g-2)_mu$ to the EW fit. We briefly explore some options of BSM scenarios that could conceivably explain the ensuing tension.
Nuclear $beta$ decays as well as the decay of the neutron are well-established low-energy probes of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). In particular, with the axial-vector coupling of the nucleon $g_A$ determined from lattice QCD, the comparison
between experiment and SM prediction is commonly used to derive constraints on right-handed currents. Further, in addition to the CKM element $V_{us}$ from kaon decays, $V_{ud}$ from $beta$ decays is a critical input for the test of CKM unitarity. Here, we point out that the available information on $beta$ decays can be re-interpreted as a stringent test of lepton flavor universality (LFU). In fact, we find that the ratio of $V_{us}$ from kaon decays over $V_{us}$ from $beta$ decays (assuming CKM unitarity) is extremely sensitive to LFU violation (LFUV) in $W$-$mu$-$ u$ couplings thanks to a CKM enhancement by $(V_{ud}/V_{us})^2sim 20$. From this perspective, recent hints for the violation of CKM unitarity can be viewed as further evidence for LFUV, fitting into the existing picture exhibited by semi-leptonic $B$ decays and the anomalous magnetic moments of muon and electron. Finally, we comment on the future sensitivity that can be reached with this LFU violating observable and discuss complementary probes of LFU that may reach a similar level of precision, such as $Gamma(pitomu u)/Gamma(pito e u)$ at the PEN and PiENu experiments or even direct measurements of $Wtomu u$ at an FCC-ee.
