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M. Passera

Publications and source records attributed to M. Passera.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon in the Standard Model: an update

We present the current Standard Model (SM) prediction for the muon anomalous magnetic moment, $a_\mu$, updating the first White Paper (WP20) [1]. The pure QED and electroweak contributions have been further consolidated, while hadronic contributions continue to be responsible for the bulk of the uncertainty of the SM prediction. Significant progress has been achieved in the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution using both the data-driven dispersive approach as well as lattice-QCD calculations, leading to a reduction of the uncertainty by almost a factor of two. The most important development since WP20 is the change in the estimate of the leading-order hadronic-vacuum-polarization (LO HVP) contribution. A new measurement of the $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-$ cross section by CMD-3 has increased the tensions among data-driven dispersive evaluations of the LO HVP contribution to a level that makes it impossible to combine the results in a meaningful way. At the same time, the attainable precision of lattice-QCD calculations has increased substantially and allows for a consolidated lattice-QCD average of the LO HVP contribution with a precision of about 0.9%. Adopting the latter in this update has resulted in a major upward shift of the total SM prediction, which now reads $a_\mu^\text{SM} = 116\,592\,033(62)\times 10^{-11}$ (530 ppb). When compared against the current experimental average based on the E821 experiment and runs 1-6 of E989 at Fermilab, one finds $a_\mu^\text{exp} - a_\mu^\text{SM} =38(63)\times 10^{-11}$, which implies that there is no tension between the SM and experiment at the current level of precision. The final precision of E989 (127 ppb) is the target of future efforts by the Theory Initiative. The resolution of the tensions among data-driven dispersive evaluations of the LO HVP contribution will be a key element in this endeavor.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2022

Mini-Proceedings of the STRONG2020 Virtual Workshop on "Space-like and Time-like determination of the Hadronic Leading Order contribution to the Muon $g-2$"

The mini-proceedings of the STRONG2020 Virtual Workshop "Space-like and Time-like determination of the Hadronic Leading Order contribution to the Muon $g-2$", November 24--26 2021, are presented. This is the first workshop of the STRONG2020 WP21: JRA3-PrecisionSM: Precision Tests of the Standard Model (http://www.strong-2020.eu/joint-research-activity/jra3-precisionsm.html). The workshop was devoted to review of the working group activitity on: $(\it i)$ Radiative Corrections and Monte Carlo tools for low-energy hadronic cross sections in $e^+ e^-$ collisions; $(\it ii)$ Annotated database for $e^+e^-$ into hadrons processes at low energy; $(\it iii)$ Radiative Corrections and Monte Carlo tools for $\mu$-$e$ elastic scattering.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon in the Standard Model

We review the present status of the Standard Model calculation of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. This is performed in a perturbative expansion in the fine-structure constant $α$ and is broken down into pure QED, electroweak, and hadronic contributions. The pure QED contribution is by far the largest and has been evaluated up to and including $\mathcal{O}(α^5)$ with negligible numerical uncertainty. The electroweak contribution is suppressed by $(m_μ/M_W)^2$ and only shows up at the level of the seventh significant digit. It has been evaluated up to two loops and is known to better than one percent. Hadronic contributions are the most difficult to calculate and are responsible for almost all of the theoretical uncertainty. The leading hadronic contribution appears at $\mathcal{O}(α^2)$ and is due to hadronic vacuum polarization, whereas at $\mathcal{O}(α^3)$ the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution appears. Given the low characteristic scale of this observable, these contributions have to be calculated with nonperturbative methods, in particular, dispersion relations and the lattice approach to QCD. The largest part of this review is dedicated to a detailed account of recent efforts to improve the calculation of these two contributions with either a data-driven, dispersive approach, or a first-principle, lattice-QCD approach. The final result reads $a_μ^\text{SM}=116\,591\,810(43)\times 10^{-11}$ and is smaller than the Brookhaven measurement by 3.7$σ$. The experimental uncertainty will soon be reduced by up to a factor four by the new experiment currently running at Fermilab, and also by the future J-PARC experiment. This and the prospects to further reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the near future-which are also discussed here-make this quantity one of the most promising places to look for evidence of new physics.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

New physics at the MUonE experiment at CERN

A confirmation of the long-standing muon $g$-2 discrepancy requires both experimental and theoretical progress. On the theory side, the hadronic corrections are under close scrutiny, as they induce the leading uncertainty of the Standard Model prediction. Recently, the MUonE experiment has been proposed at CERN to provide a new determination of the leading hadronic contribution to the muon $g$-2 via the measurement of the differential cross section of muon-electron scattering. The precision expected at this experiment raises the question whether possible new-physics (NP) could affect its measurements. We address this issue studying possible NP signals in muon-electron collisions due to heavy or light mediators, depending on whether their mass is higher or lower than ${\cal O} (1{\rm GeV})$. We analyze the former in a model-independent way via an effective field theory approach, whereas for the latter we focus on scenarios with light scalar and vector bosons. Using existing experimental bounds, we show that possible NP effects in muon-electron collisions are expected to lie below MUonE's sensitivity. This result confirms and reinforces the physics case of the MUonE proposal.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

Results on Multiple Coulomb Scattering from 12 and 20 GeV electrons on Carbon targets

Multiple scattering effects of 12 and 20 GeV electrons on 8 and 20 mm thickness carbon targets have been studied with high-resolution silicon microstrip detectors of the UA9 apparatus at the H8 line at CERN. Comparison of the scattering angle between data and GEANT4 simulation shows excellent agreement in the core of the distributions leaving some residual disagreement in the tails.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2017

Measuring the leading hadronic contribution to the muon g-2 via $μ\,e$ scattering

We propose a new experiment to measure the running of the fine-structure constant in the space-like region by scattering high-energy muons on atomic electrons of a low-Z target through the process $μe \to μe$. The differential cross section of this process, measured as a function of the squared momentum transfer $t=q^2<0$, provides direct sensitivity to the leading-order hadronic contribution to the muon anomaly $a^{\rm{HLO}}_μ$. By using a muon beam of 150 GeV, with an average rate of $\sim1.3\times 10^7$ muon/s, currently available at the CERN North Area, a statistical uncertainty of $\sim 0.3\%$ can be achieved on $a^{\rm{HLO}}_μ$ after two years of data taking. This direct measurement of $a^{\rm{HLO}}_μ$ will provide an independent determination, competitive with the time-like dispersive approach, and consolidate the theoretical prediction for the muon $g$-2 in the Standard Model. It will allow therefore a firmer interpretation of the measurements of the future muon $g$-2 experiments at Fermilab and J-PARC.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2016

Contributions of axion-like particles to lepton dipole moments

Contributions of a spin 0 axion-like particle (ALP) to lepton dipole moments, g-2 and EDMs, are examined. Barr-Zee and light-by-light loop effects from a light pseudoscalar ALP are found to be capable of resolving the long-standing muon g-2 discrepancy at the expense of relatively large ALP-gammagamma couplings. The compatibility of such large couplings with direct experimental constraints and perturbative unitarity bounds is discussed. Future tests of such a scenario are described. For CP violating ALP couplings, the electron EDM is found to probe much smaller, theoretically more easily accommodated ALP interactions. Future planned improvement in electron EDM searches is advocated as a way to not only significantly constrain ALP parameters but also, to potentially unveil a new source of CP violation which could have far reaching ramifications.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Precision tests via radiative $μ$ and $τ$ leptonic decays

The branching fractions of radiative leptonic $τ$ decays $(τ\to l ν\barν γ$, $l=e,μ)$ were recently measured by the Babar collaboration with a relative error of about 3%. The measurement of the branching ratio $\mathcal{B} (τ\to e \barν νγ)$, for a minimum photon energy of 10 MeV in the $τ$ rest frame, differs from our recent SM prediction by 3.5 standard deviations, whereas our result agrees with Babar's value for $\mathcal{B} (τ\to μ\barν νγ)$. Our predictions also agree with the measurement of $\mathcal{B} (μ\to e \barν νγ)$ by the MEG collaboration. We also report on a recent proposal to test the $τ$ dipole moments via precise measurements of radiative leptonic $τ$ decays at high-luminosity $B$ factories.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

$τ$ dipole moments via radiative leptonic $τ$ decays

We propose a new method to probe the magnetic and electric dipole moments of the $τ$ lepton using precise measurements of the differential rates of radiative leptonic $τ$ decays at high-luminosity $B$ factories. Possible deviations of these moments from the Standard Model values are analyzed in an effective Lagrangian approach, thus providing model-independent results. Analytic expressions for the relevant non-standard contributions to the differential decay rates are presented. Earlier proposals to probe the $τ$ dipole moments are examined. A detailed feasibility study of our method is performed in the conditions of the Belle and Belle II experiments at the KEKB and Super-KEKB colliders, respectively. This study shows that our approach, applied to the planned full set of Belle II data for radiative leptonic $τ$ decays, has the potential to improve the present experimental bound on the $τ$ anomalous magnetic moment. On the contrary, its foreseen sensitivity is not expected to lower the current experimental limit on the $τ$ electric dipole moment.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

Radiative $μ$ and $τ$ leptonic decays at NLO

We present the differential rates and branching ratios of the radiative decays $τ\to l \barν νγ$, with $l=e$ or $μ$, and $μ\to e \barν νγ$ in the Standard Model at next-to-leading order. Radiative corrections are computed taking into account the full depencence on the mass $m_l$ of the final charged leptons, which is necessary for the correct determination of the branching ratios. Only partial agreement is found with previous calculations performed in the $m_l \to 0$ limit. Our results agree with the measurements of the branching ratios $\mathcal{B} (μ\to e \barν νγ)$ and $\mathcal{B} (τ\to μ\barν νγ)$ for a minimum photon energy of 10 MeV in the $μ$ and $τ$ rest frames, respectively. Babar's recent precise measurement of the branching ratio $\mathcal{B} (τ\to e \barν νγ)$, for the same photon energy threshold, differs from our prediction by 3.5 standard deviations.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

A new approach to evaluate the leading hadronic corrections to the muon g-2

We propose a novel approach to determine the leading hadronic corrections to the muon g-2. It consists in a measurement of the effective electromagnetic coupling in the space-like region extracted from Bhabha scattering data. We argue that this new method may become feasible at flavor factories, resulting in an alternative determination potentially competitive with the accuracy of the present results obtained with the dispersive approach via time-like data.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Mini-Proceedings, 16th meeting of the Working Group on Radiative Corrections and MC Generators for Low Energies

The mini-proceedings of the 16th Meeting of the "Working Group on Radiative Corrections and MonteCarlo Generators for Low Energies" held in Frascati, 18th - 19th November, are presented. These meetings, started in 2006, have as aim to bring together experimentalists and theoreticians working in the fields of meson transition form factors, hadronic contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment of the leptons, and the effective fine structure constant. The development of MonteCarlo generators and Radiative Corrections for precision $e^+e^-$ and τ-lepton physics are also covered.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2014

Positronium contribution to the electron g-2

The contribution of positronium to the electron $g$-2 ($a_e$) has been computed in Ref. [1] and found to be of the same order of $α$ as that of five-loop perturbative QED. We confirm this result and correct a few errors in its first derivation. As recently calculated in Ref. [2], a continuum nonperturbative contribution to $a_e$ cancels one-half of the positronium one. We show by explicit calculation that the remaining half is already included in the five-loop perturbative result. We also show that it arises from the class I(i) of five-loop diagrams containing only one closed electron loop.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2013

W-propagator corrections to muon and tau leptonic decays

We derive the corrections induced by the W-boson propagator to the differential rates of the leptonic decay of a polarized muon and tau lepton. Results are presented both for decays inclusive of inner bremsstrahlung as well as for radiative ones, when a photon emitted in the decay process is measured. The numerical effect of these corrections is discussed. The definition of the Fermi constant is briefly reviewed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2012

Testing new physics with the electron g-2

We argue that the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron (a_e) can be used to probe new physics. We show that the present bound on new-physics contributions to a_e is 8*10^-13, but the sensitivity can be improved by about an order of magnitude with new measurements of a_e and more refined determinations of alpha in atomic-physics experiments. Tests on new-physics effects in a_e can play a crucial role in the interpretation of the observed discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (a_mu). In a large class of models, new contributions to magnetic moments scale with the square of lepton masses and thus the anomaly in a_mu suggests a new-physics effect in a_e of (0.7 +- 0.2)*10^-13. We also present examples of new-physics theories in which this scaling is violated and larger effects in a_e are expected. In such models the value of a_e is correlated with specific predictions for processes with violation of lepton number or lepton universality, and with the electric dipole moment of the electron.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2011

Observations on the radiative corrections to pion beta-decay

We find that, in the local V-A theory, the radiative corrections to pion beta-decay involving the weak vector current, when evaluated in the current algebra (CA) formulation in which quarks are the fundamental underlying fields, show a small difference with the more elementary calculations based directly on the pion fields. We show that this difference arises from a specific short-distance effect that depends on the algebra satisfied by the weak and electromagnetic currents. On the other hand, we present a simple theoretical argument that concludes that this difference does not occur when the CA formulation is compared with the chiral perturbation theory (chiPT) approach. Comparisons with previous studies, and with a more recent calculation based on chiPT, are included. We also briefly review the important differences between the results in the local V-A theory and the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗