Abstract: Investigation at a f-factory can shed light on several debated issues in particle physics. We discuss: (i) recent theoretical development and experimental progress in kaon physics relevant for the Standard Model tests in the flavor sector, (ii) the sensitivity we can reach in probing CPT and Quantum Mechanics from time evolution of entangled-kaon states, (iii) the interest for improving on the present measurements of non-leptonic and radiative decays of kaons and eta/eta' mesons, (iv) the contribution to understand the nature of light scalar mesons, and (v) the opportunity to search for narrow di-lepton resonances suggested by recent models proposing a hidden dark-matter sector. We also report on the e(+)e(-) physics in the continuum with the measurements of (multi) hadronic cross sections and the study of gamma gamma processes.

Abstract: We discuss the linearization of Einstein equations in the presence of a cosmological constant, by expanding the solution for the metric around a flat Minkowski space-time. We demonstrate that one can find consistent solutions to the linearized set of equations for the metric perturbations, in the Lorentz gauge, which are not spherically symmetric, but they rather exhibit a cylindrical symmetry. We find that the components of the gravitational field satisfying the appropriate Poisson equations have the property of ensuring that a scalar potential can be constructed, in which both contributions, from ordinary matter and Lambda > 0, are attractive. In addition, there is a novel tensor potential, induced by the pressure density, in which the effect of the cosmological constant is repulsive. We also linearize the Schwarzschild-de Sitter exact solution of Einstein's equations ( due to a generalization of Birkhoff's theorem) in the domain between the two horizons. We manage to transform it first to a gauge in which the 3-space metric is conformally flat and, then, make an additional coordinate transformation leading to the Lorentz gauge conditions. We compare our non-spherically symmetric solution with the linearized Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric, when the latter is transformed to the Lorentz gauge, and we find agreement. The resulting metric, however, does not acquire a proper Newtonian form in terms of the unique scalar potential that solves the corresponding Poisson equation. Nevertheless, our solution is stable, in the sense that the physical energy density is positive.

Abstract: We derive the effects of a nonzero cosmological constant Lambda on gravitational wave propagation in the linearized approximation of general relativity. In this approximation, we consider the situation where the metric can be written as g(mu nu) = eta(mu nu) + h(mu nu)(Lambda) + h(mu nu)(W), h(mu nu)(Lambda,W) << 1, where h(mu nu)(Lambda) is the background perturbation and h(mu nu)(W) is a modification interpretable as a gravitational wave. For Lambda not equal 0, this linearization of Einstein equations is self-consistent only in certain coordinate systems. The cosmological Friedmann-Robertson-Walker coordinates do not belong to this class and the derived linearized solutions have to be reinterpreted in a coordinate system that is homogeneous and isotropic to make contact with observations. Plane waves in the linear theory acquire modifications of order root Lambda, both in the amplitude and the phase, when considered in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker coordinates. In the linearization process for h(mu nu), we have also included terms of order O(Lambda h(mu nu)). For the background perturbation h(mu nu)(Lambda), the difference is very small, but when the term h(mu nu)(W)Lambda is retained the equations of motion can be interpreted as describing massive spin-2 particles. However, the extra degrees of freedom can be approximately gauged away, coupling to matter sources with a strength proportional to the cosmological constant itself. Finally, we discuss the viability of detecting the modifications caused by the cosmological constant on the amplitude and phase of gravitational waves. In some cases, the distortion with respect to gravitational waves propagating in Minkowski space-time is considerable. The effect of Lambda could have a detectable impact on pulsar timing arrays.

Abstract: Although CP violation in the B meson system has been well established by the B factories, there has been no direct observation of time-reversal violation. The decays of entangled neutral B mesons into definite flavor states (B-0 or (B) over bar (0)), and J/psi K-L(0) or c (c) over barK(S)(0) final states (referred to as B+ or B-), allow comparisons between the probabilities of four pairs of T-conjugated transitions, for example, (B) over bar (0) -> B- and B- -> (B) over bar (0), as a function of the time difference between the two B decays. Using 468 X 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs produced in Y(4S) decays collected by the BABAR detector at SLAC, we measure T-violating parameters in the time evolution of neutral B mesons, yielding Delta S-T(+) = -137 +/- 0.14(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) and Delta S-T(-) = 1.17 +/- 0.18(stat) +/- 0.11(syst). These nonzero results represent the first direct observation of T violation through the exchange of initial and final states in transitions that can only be connected by a T-symmetry transformation.

Abstract: The neutral Kaon system has both CF violation in the mass matrix and a non-vanishing lifetime difference in the width matrix. This leads to an effective Hamiltonian which is not a normal operator, with incompatible (non-commuting) masses and widths. In the Weisskopf-Wigner Approach (WWA), by diagonalizing the entire Hamiltonian, the unphysical non-orthogonal “stationary” states K-L,K-S are obtained. These states have complex eigenvalues whose real (imaginary) part does not coincide with the eigenvalues of the mass (width). matrix. In this work we describe the system as an open Lindblad-type quantum mechanical system due to Kaon decays. This approach, in terms of density matrices for initial and final states, provides a consistent probabilistic description, avoiding the standard problems because the width matrix becomes a composite operator not included in the Hamiltonian. We consider the dominant decay channel to two pions, so that one of the Kaon states with definite lifetime becomes stable. This new approach provides results for the time dependent decay rates in agreement with those of the WWA.