The Muon (g-2) Theory Value: Present and Future

Abstract

This White Paper briefly reviews the present status of the muon (g-2) Standard-Model prediction. This value results in a 3 - 4 standard-deviation difference with the experimental result from Brookhaven E821. The present experimental uncertainty is $\pm 63 \times 10^{-11}$ (0.54~ppm), and the Standard-Model uncertainty is $\simeq \pm 49 \times 10^{-11}$. Fermilab experiment E989 has the goal to reduce the experimental error to $\pm 16 \times 10^{-11}$. Improvements in the Standard-Model value, which should be achieved between now and when the first results from Fermilab E989 could be available, should lead to a Standard-Model uncertainty of $\sim \,\pm 35 \times 10^{-11}$. These improvements would halve the uncertainty on the difference between experiment and theory, and should clarify whether the current difference points toward New Physics, or to a statistical fluctuation. At present, the (g-2) result is arguably the most compelling indicator of physics beyond the Standard Model and, at the very least, it represents a major constraint for speculative new theories such as supersymmetry, dark gauge bosons or extra dimensions.