Abstract: A bonus of the framed Standard Model (FSM), constructed initially to explain the mass and mixing patterns of quarks and leptons, is a solution (without axions) of the strong CP problem by cancelling the theta-angle term theta(I) Tr(H-mu v H-mu v*) in coloura by a chiral transformation on a quark zero mode which is inherent in FSM, and produces thereby a CP-violating phase in the CKM matrix similar in size to what is observed.' Extending here to flavour, one finds that there are two terms proportional to Tr(G(mu v) G(mu v)*): (a) in the action from flavour instantons with unknown coefficient, say theta(I)', (b) induced by the above FSM solution to the strong CP-problem with therefore known coefficient theta(C)'. Both terms can be cancelled in the FSM by a chiral transformation on the lepton zero mode to give a Jarlskog invariant J' in the PMNS matrix for leptons of order 10(-2), as is hinted by the experiment. But if, as suggested in Ref. 2, the term theta(I)' is to be cancelled by a chiral transformation in the predicted hidden sector to solve the strong CP problem therein, leaving only the term theta(C)' to be cancelled by the chiral transformation on leptons, then the following prediction results: J' similar to -0.012 (delta(CP)'similar to (1.11)pi) which is (i) of the right order, (ii) of the right sign and (iii) in the range favoured by the present experiment. Together with the earlier result for quarks, this offers an attractive unified treatment of all known CP physics.

Abstract: A descriptive summary is given of the results to-date from the framed standard model (FSM) which: Assigns geometric meaning to the Higgs field and to fermion generations, hence offering an explanation for the observed mass and mixing patterns of quarks and leptons, reproducing near-quantitatively 17 of SM parameters with only 7. Predicts a new vector boson G which mixes with gamma and Z, leading to deviations from the SM mixing scheme. For m(G) > 1 TeV, these deviations are within present experimental errors but should soon be detectable at LHC when experimental accuracy is further improved. Suggests the existence of a hidden sector of particles as yet unknown to experiment which interact but little with the known particles. The lowest members of the hidden sector of mass around 17 MeV, being electrically neutral and stable, may figure as dark matter constituents. The idea is to retrace the steps leading to the above results unencumbered by details already worked out and reported elsewhere. This has helped to clarify the logic, tighten some arguments and dispense with one major assumption previously thought necessary, thus strengthening earlier results in opening up possibly a new and exciting vista for further exploration.

Abstract: Recent experiments show that the top-right corner element (U-e3) of the PMNS matrix is small but nonzero, and suggest further via unitarity that it is smaller than the bottom-left corner element (U-tau 1). Here, it is shown that if to the assumption of a universal rank-one mass matrix, long favoured by phenomenologists, one adds that this matrix rotates with scale, then it follows that A) by inputting the mass ratios m(c)/m(t), m(s)/m(b), m(mu)/m(tau), and m(2)/m(3), i) the corner elements are small but nonzero, ii) V-ub < V-td, U-e3 < U-tau 1, iii) estimates result for the ratios V-ub/V-td and U-e3/U-tau 1, and B) by inputting further the experimental values of V-us, V-tb and U-e2, U-mu 3, iv) estimates result for the values of the corner elements themselves. All the inequalities and estimates obtained are consistent with present data within expectation for the approximations made.

Abstract: QCD sum rules involving mixed inverse moment integration kernels are used in order to determine the running charm-quark mass in the (MS) over bar scheme. Both the high and the low energy expansion of the vector current correlator are involved in this determination. The optimal integration kernel turns out to be of the form p(s) = 1 -(s(0)/s)(2), where s(0) is the onset of perturbative QCD. This kernel enhances the contribution of the well known narrow resonances, and reduces the impact of the data in the range s similar or equal to 20-25 GeV2. This feature leads to a substantial reduction in the sensitivity of the results to changes in s(0), as well as to a much reduced impact of the experimental uncertainties in the higher resonance region. The value obtained for the charm-quark mass in the (MS) over bar scheme at a scale of 3 GeV is (m) over bar (c)(3 GeV) = 987 +/- 9 MeV, where the error includes all sources of uncertainties added in quadrature.

Abstract: The framed standard model (FSM), constructed to explain, with some success, why there should be three and apparently only three generations of quarks and leptons in nature falling into a hierarchical mass and mixing pattern,(10) suggests also, among other things, a scalar boson U, with mass around 17 MeV and small couplings to quarks and leptons,(11) which might explain(9) the g – 2 anomaly reported in experiment.(12) The U arises in FSM initially as a state in the predicted “hidden sector” with mass around 17 MeV, which mixes with the standard model (SM) Higgs h(W), acquiring thereby a coupling to quarks and leptons and a mass just below 17 MeV. The initial purpose of this paper is to check whether this proposal is compatible with experiment on semileptonic decays of Ks and Bs where the U can also appear. The answer to this we find is affirmative, in that the contribution of U to new physics as calculated in the FSM remains within the experimental bounds, but only if m(U) lies within a narrow range just below the unmixed mass. As a result from this, one has an estimate m(U) similar to 15-17 MeV for the mass of U, and from some further considerations the estimate Gamma(U) similar to 0.02 eV for its width, both of which may be useful for an eventual search for it in experiment. If found, it will be, for the FSM, not just the discovery of a predicted new particle, but the opening of a window into a whole “hidden sector” containing at least some, perhaps even the bulk, of the dark matter in the universe.