Pich, A. (2014). Precision tau physics. Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys., 75, 41–85.
Abstract: Precise measurements of the lepton properties provide stringent tests of the Standard Model and accurate determinations of its parameters. We overview the present status of tau physics, highlighting the most recent developments, and discuss the prospects for future improvements. The leptonic decays of the tau lepton probe the structure of the weak currents and the universality of their couplings to the W boson. The universality of the leptonic Z couplings has also been tested through Z -> l(+)l(-) decays. The hadronic tau decay modes constitute an ideal tool for studying low-energy effects of the strong interaction in very clean conditions. Accurate determinations of the QCD coupling and the Cabibbo mixing V-us have been obtained with tau data. The large mass of the tau opens the possibility to study many kinematically-allowed exclusive decay modes and extract relevant dynamical information. Violations of flavour and CP conservation laws can also be searched for with tau decays. Related subjects such as μdecays, the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments, neutrino mixing and B-meson decays into tau leptons are briefly covered. Being one the fermions most strongly coupled to the scalar sector, the tau lepton is playing now a very important role at the LHC as a tool to test the Higgs properties and search for new physics at higher scales.
|
Gonzalez-Alonso, M., Pich, A., & Prades, J. (2010). Violation of quark-hadron duality and spectral chiral moments in QCD. Phys. Rev. D, 81(7), 074007–10pp.
Abstract: We analyze the spectral moments of the V – A two-point correlation function. Using all known short-distance constraints and the most recent experimental data from tau decays, we determine the lowest spectral moments, trying to assess the uncertainties associated with the so-called violations of quark-hadron duality. We have generated a large number of acceptable spectral functions, satisfying all conditions, and have used them to extract the wanted hadronic parameters through a careful statistical analysis. We obtain accurate values for the chi PT couplings L-10 and C-87, and a realistic determination of the dimension six and eight contributions in the operator product expansion, O-6 = (-5.4(-1.6)(+3.6)) . 10(-3) GeV6 and O-8 = d(-8.9-(12.6)(7.4+)) 10(-3) GeV8, showing that the duality-violation effects have been underestimated in previous literature.
|
Gomez Dumm, D., Roig, P., Pich, A., & Portoles, J. (2010). Hadron structure in tau -> KK pi nu(tau) decays. Phys. Rev. D, 81(3), 034031–17pp.
Abstract: We analyze the hadronization structure of both vector and axial-vector currents leading to tau -> KK pi nu(tau) decays. At leading order in the 1/N-C expansion, and considering only the contribution of the lightest resonances, we work out, within the framework of the resonance chiral Lagrangian, the structure of the local vertices involved in those processes. The couplings in the resonance theory are constrained by imposing the asymptotic behavior of vector and axial-vector spectral functions ruled by QCD. In this way we predict the hadron spectra and conclude that, contrary to previous assertions, the vector contribution dominates by far over the axial-vector one in all KK pi charge channels.
|
Gisbert, H., & Pich, A. (2018). Direct CP violation in K-0 -> pi pi : Standard Model Status. Rep. Prog. Phys., 81(7), 076201–22pp.
Abstract: In 1988 the NA31 experiment presented the first evidence of direct CP violation in the K-0 -> pi pi decay amplitudes. A clear signal with a 7.2 sigma statistical significance was later established with the full data samples from the NA31, E731, NA48 and KTeV experiments, confirming that CP violation is associated with a Delta S = 1 quark transition, as predicted by the Standard Model. However, the theoretical prediction for the measured ratio epsilon'/epsilon has been a subject of strong controversy along the years. Although the underlying physics was already clarified in 2001, the recent release of improved lattice data has revived again the theoretical debate. We review the current status, discussing in detail the different ingredients that enter into the calculation of this observable and the reasons why seemingly contradictory predictions were obtained in the past by several groups. An update of the Standard Model prediction is presented and the prospects for future improvements are analysed. Taking into account all known short-distance and long-distance contributions, one obtains Re (epsilon' / epsilon) = (15 +/- 7) . 10(-4), in good agreement with the experimental measurement.
|
Gonzalez-Alonso, M., Pich, A., & Prades, J. (2010). Pinched weights and duality violation in QCD sum rules: A critical analysis. Phys. Rev. D, 82(1), 014019–7pp.
Abstract: We analyze the so-called pinched weights, that are generally thought to reduce the violation of quarkhadron duality in finite-energy sum rules. After showing how this is not true in general, we explain how to address this question for the left-right correlator and any particular pinched weight, taking advantage of our previous work [1], where the possible high-energy behavior of the left-right spectral function was studied. In particular, we show that the use of pinched weights allows to determine with high accuracy the dimension six and eight contributions in the operator-product expansion, O-6 = (-4.3(-0.7)(+0.9)) x 10(-3) GeV6 and O-8 = (-7.2(-5.3)(+4.2)) x 10(-3) GeV8.
|
