Lepton $g-2$ non-universality of hadronic contributions and a sub-GeV window to New Physics

Abstract

We propose the linear combination of the anomalous magnetic moments of the muon and electron, $a_{\mu-e} \equiv a_\mu - (m_\mu/m_e)^2 a_e$, as a natural low-energy window quantity that may directly probe the current discrepancy between the data-driven and lattice-QCD evaluations of hadronic contributions. The rescaling ensures an exact cancellation of the short-range effects, thereby improving the UV behavior and bypassing a number of issues that arise in $a_\mu$ or $a_e$ separately. The hadronic-vacuum-polarization effect in $a^{\rm HVP}_{\mu-e}$, together with its uncertainty, is reduced as compared to $a^{\rm HVP}_{\mu}$ by $\sim 85\%$. This is promising for tests of New Physics, conditional to significant improvements in experimental measurements of $a_e$ and $\alpha$. One can foresee the improvements in tests of New Physics with some degree of flavor non-universality, as well as for the flavor-universal sub-GeV states.