arXiv subjects

Thorsten Feldmann

Publications and source records attributed to Thorsten Feldmann.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Lepton-flavour violation in a Pati-Salam model with gauged flavour symmetry

Combining Pati-Salam (PS) and flavour symmetries in a renormalisable setup, we devise a scenario which produces realistic masses for the charged leptons. Flavour-symmetry breaking scalar fields in the adjoint representations of the PS gauge group are responsible for generating different flavour structures for up- and down-type quarks as well as for leptons. The model is characterised by new heavy fermions which mix with the Standard Model quarks and leptons. In particular, the partners for the third fermion generation induce sizeable sources of flavour violation. Focusing on the charged-lepton sector, we scrutinise the model with respect to its implications for lepton-flavour violating processes such as $μ\rightarrow eγ$, $μ\rightarrow 3e$ and muon conversion in nuclei.

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arXiv2016

Angular Analysis of the Decay $Λ_b \to Λ(\to N π) \ell^+\ell^-$

We study the differential decay rate for the rare $Λ_b \to Λ(\to N π)\ell^+\ell^-$ transition, including a determination of the complete angular distribution, assuming unpolarized $Λ_b$ baryons. On the basis of a properly chosen parametrization of the various helicity amplitudes, we provide expressions for the angular observables within the Standard Model and a subset of new physics models with chirality-flipped operators. Hadronic effects at low recoil are estimated by combining information from lattice QCD with (improved) form-factor relations in Heavy Quark Effective Theory. Our estimates for large hadronic recoil -- at this stage -- are still rather uncertain because the baryonic input functions are not so well known, and non-factorizable spectator effects have not been worked out systematically so far. Still, our phenomenological analysis of decay asymmetries and angular observables for $Λ_b \to Λ(\to N π)\ell^+\ell^-$ reveals that this decay mode can provide new and complementary constraints on the Wilson coefficients in radiative and semileptonic $b \to s$ transitions compared to the corresponding mesonic modes.

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arXiv2015

Renormalization Group Evolution of Flavour Invariants

The fermion spectrum in the Standard Model (SM) exhibits hierarchical structures between the eigenvalues of the Yukawa matrices which determine the fermion masses, as well as certain hierarchical patterns in the mixing matrix that describes weak transitions between different fermion generations. A basis-independent description of the SM flavour structure can be given in terms of a complete set of flavour invariants. In this paper, we construct a convenient set of such invariants, and discuss the general form of the renormalization-group equations. We also discuss the simplifications that arise from exploiting hierarchies in Yukwawa couplings and mixings which are present in the SM or its minimal-flavour violating extensions.

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arXiv2015

Angular Analysis of New Physics Operators in polarized $τ\to 3 \ell$ Decays

In a bottom-up approach we investigate lepton-flavour violating processes $τ\to 3 \ell$ that are mediated by New Physics encoded in effective-theory operators of dimension six. While the opportunity to scrutinize the underlying operator structure has been investigated before, we explore the benefits of utilising the polarization direction of the initial $τ$ lepton and the angular distribution of the decay. Given the rarity of these events (if observed at all), we focus on integrated observables rather than spectra, such as partial rates and asymmetries. In an effort to estimate the number of events required to extract the coupling coefficients to the effective operators we perform a phenomenological study with virtual experiments.

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arXiv2015

Combining Pati-Salam and Flavour Symmetries

We construct an extension of the Standard Model (SM) which is based on grand unification with Pati-Salam symmetry. The setup is supplemented with the idea of spontaneous flavour symmetry breaking which is mediated through flavon fields with renormalizable couplings to new heavy fermions. While we argue that the new gauge bosons in this approach can be sufficiently heavy to be irrelevant at low energies, the fermionic partners of the SM quarks, in particular those for the third generation, can be relatively light and provide new sources of flavour violation. The size of the effects is constrained by the observed values of the SM Yukawa matrices, but in a way that is different from the standard minimal-flavour violation approach. We determine characteristic deviations from the SM that could eventually be observed in future precision measurements.

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arXiv2015

Analyzing $b\to u$ transitions in semileptonic $\bar{B}_s \to K^{*+}(\to K π)\ell^-\barν_\ell$ decays

We study the semileptonic decay $\bar{B}_s \to K^{*+} \ell^-\barν_\ell$, which is induced by $b\to u \ell^- \barν_\ell$ transitions at the quark level. We take into account the standard model (SM) operator from $W$-boson exchange as well as possible extensions from physics beyond the SM. The secondary decay $K^{*+}\to Kπ$ can be used to study a number of angular observables, which are worked out in terms of short-distance Wilson coefficients and hadronic form factors. Our analysis allows for an independent extraction of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $|V_{ub}|$ and for the determination of certain ratios of $\bar{B}_s\to K^*$ form factors. Moreover, a future precision measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry in the $\bar{B}_s \to K^{*+} \ell^-\barν_\ell$ decay can be used to unambiguously verify the left-handed nature of the transition operator as predicted by the SM. We provide numerical estimates for the relevant angular observables and the resulting decay distributions on the basis of available form-factor information from lattice and sum-rule estimates. In addition, we pay particular attention to suitable combinations of angular observables in the decays $\bar{B}_s \to K^{*+}(\to Kπ)\ell^-\barν_\ell$ and $\bar{B} \to K^{*0}(\to Kπ)\ell^+\ell^-$, and find that they provide complementary constraints on the relevant $b\to s$ short-distance coefficients. As a by-product, we perform a SM fit on the basis of selected experimental decay rates and hadronic input functions, which results in $|V_{ub}| = (4.07 \pm 0.20) \cdot 10^{-3}$.

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arXiv2014

Non-Leptonic Heavy Meson Decays - Theory Status

I briefly review the status and recent progress in the theoretical understanding of non-leptonic decays of beauty and charm hadrons. Focusing on a personal selection of topics, this covers perturbative calculations in quantum chromodynamics, analyses using flavour symmetries of strong interactions, and the modelling of the relevant hadronic input functions.

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arXiv2014

B-Meson Light-Cone Distribution Amplitude: Perturbative Constraints and Asymptotic Behaviour in Dual Space

Based on the dual representation in terms of the recently established eigenfunctions of the evolution kernel in heavy-quark effective theory, we investigate the description of the B-meson light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) beyond tree-level. In particular, in dual space, small and large momenta do not mix under renormalization, and therefore perturbative constraints from a short-distance expansion in the parton picture can be implemented independently from non-perturbative modelling of long-distance effects. It also allows to (locally) resum perturbative logarithms from large dual momenta at fixed values of the renormalization scale. We construct a generic procedure to combine perturbative and non-perturbative information on the B-meson LCDA and compare different model functions and the resulting logarithmic moments which are the relevant hadronic parameters in QCD factorization theorems for exclusive B-meson decays.

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arXiv2014

Disentangling the Decay Observables in $B^- \to π^+π^-\ell^-\barν_\ell$

We study the semileptonic $b\to u$ transition in the decay mode $B^-\to π^+π^-\ell^-\barν_\ell$. We define $B\to ππ$ form factors in the helicity basis, and study their properties in various kinematic limits, including form factor relations in the heavy-mass and large-energy limits, the decomposition into partial waves of the dipion system, and the resonant contribution of vector and scalar mesons. We show how angular observables in $B^-\to π^+π^-\ell^-\barν_\ell$ can be used to measure dipion form factors or to perform null tests of the Standard Model.

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arXiv2013

Light-Cone Distribution Amplitudes for Heavy-Quark Hadrons

We construct parametrizations of light-cone distribution amplitudes (LCDAs) for B-mesons and Lambda_b-baryons that obey various theoretical constraints, and which are simple to use in factorization theorems relevant for phenomenological applications in heavy-flavour physics. In particular, we find the eigenfunctions of the Lange-Neubert renormalization kernel, which allow for a systematic implementation of renormalization-group evolution effects for both B-meson and Λ_b-baryon decays. We also present a new strategy to construct LCDA models from momentum-space projectors, which can be used to implement Wandzura-Wilczek--like relations, and which allow for a comparison with theoretical approaches that go beyond the collinear limit for the light-quark momenta in energetic heavy-hadron decays.

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arXiv2012

Form Factors for Lambda_b -> Lambda Transitions in SCET

We present a systematic discussion of Lambda_b -> Lambda transition form factors in the framework of soft-collinear effective theory (SCET). The universal soft form factor, which enters the symmetry relations in the limit of large recoil energy, is calculated from a sum-rule analysis of a suitable SCET correlation function. The same method is applied to derive the leading corrections from hard-collinear gluon exchange at first order in the strong coupling constant. We present numerical estimates for form factors and form-factor ratios and their impact on decay observables in Lambda_b -> Lambda mu^+ mu^- decays.

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arXiv2012

Repercussions of Flavour Symmetry Breaking on CP Violation in D-Meson Decays

We investigate to what extent the recently measured value for a non-vanishing direct CP asymmetry in D0 -> K+ K- and D0 -> pi+ pi- decays can be accommodated in the Standard Model (SM) or extensions with a constrained flavour sector, for instance from a sequential 4th generation of quarks (4G). From the comparison with D0 -> K- pi+ branching ratios, we establish large U-spin symmetry (d <-> s) breaking effects with large strong phases between different interfering amplitudes. On the basis of conservative estimates on amplitude ratios - which are supported by an analysis of the breaking of a (c <-> u) symmetry in non-leptonic B0 decays - we find that, in the SM, direct CP asymmetries in the pi+ pi- or K+ K- modes (or in their difference) of the order of several per mille are still plausible. Due to the constraints on the new CP phases in the 4G model, only moderate effects compared to the SM estimates are possible. We suggest CP studies at LHCb as well as at (Super)B-factories of several distinctive modes, such as D+ -> Kbar(*)0 pi+, phi pi+ and Ds -> K(*)0 pi+, phi pi+ (K+) etc., which should shed more light on the short- and long-distance issues underlying CP violation in non-leptonic D-meson decays.

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arXiv2011

Theoretical and Phenomenological Constraints on Form Factors for Radiative and Semi-Leptonic B-Meson Decays

We study transition form factors for radiative and rare semi-leptonic B-meson decays into light pseudoscalar or vector mesons, combining theoretical constraints and phenomenological information from Lattice QCD, light-cone sum rules, and dispersive bounds. We pay particular attention to form factor parameterisations which are based on the so-called series expansion, and study the related systematic uncertainties on a quantitative level. In this context, we also provide the NLO corrections to the correlation function between two flavour-changing tensor currents, which enters the unitarity constraints for the coefficients in the series expansion.

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arXiv2011

Lepton Flavour Violation Theory

I discuss theoretical and phenomenological aspects of flavour violation in charged lepton transitions. This includes minimal extensions of the Standard Model within effective-theory approaches, as well as an incomplete selection of concrete new physics models.

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arXiv2011

See-Saw Masses for Quarks and Leptons in SU(5)

We build on a recent paper by Grinstein, Redi and Villadoro, where a see-saw like mechanism for quark masses was derived in the context of spontaneously broken gauged flavour symmetries. The see-saw mechanism is induced by heavy Dirac fermions which are added to the Standard Model spectrum in order to render the flavour symmetries anomaly-free. In this letter we report on the embedding of these fermions into multiplets of an SU(5) grand unified theory and discuss a number of interesting consequences.

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arXiv2010

Patterns of Flavour Violation in the Presence of a Fourth Generation of Quarks and Leptons

We calculate a number of observables related to particle-antiparticle mixing and the branching ratios for the most interesting rare and CP-violating K and B decays in the Standard Model (SM3) extended by a fourth generation of quarks and leptons (SM4). A model-independent parameterisation of these observables in terms of gauge-independent functions is adopted, which is useful for studying the breaking of the universality between K, Bd and Bs systems through non-minimal flavour violating interactions. We calculate first the mass differences Delta M_i in the neutral K and B system, the mixing-induced CP asymmetries S_{psi K_S}, S_{psi phi}, S_{phi K_S}, S_{eta' K_S} and epsilon_K. Subsequently, a detailed analysis of K^+ -> pi^+ nu nu, K_L -> pi^0 nu nu, B_{s,d} -> mu^+ mu^-, B -> X_{s,d} nu nu, K_L -> pi^0 l^+ l^-, B -> X_s gamma and B -> X_{s,d} l^+ l^- is presented, and also epsilon'/epsilon is considered. For some of these observables the departures from SM3 predictions can still be spectacular. We discuss how the new mixing parameters (3 angles, 2 CP phases) can be determined using the flavour observables in question. We identify the different hierarchical structures in the SM4 flavour mixing matrix, allowed by phenomenological and theoretical constraints, and define the corresponding generalised Wolfenstein expansion. Most importantly, we show how the characteristic patterns of correlations among the considered flavour observables allow to distinguish this New Physics scenario from supersymmetric flavour models, the Littlest Higgs model with T-parity and the Randall-Sundrum model with custodial protection.

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arXiv2010

Characterising New Physics Models by Effective Dimensionality of Parameter Space

We show that the dimension of the geometric shape formed by the phenomenologically valid points inside a multi-dimensional parameter space can be used to characterise different new physics models and to define a quantitative measure for the distribution of the points. We explain a simple algorithm to determine the box-counting dimension from a given set of parameter points, and illustrate our method with examples from different models that have recently been studied with respect to precision flavour observables.

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arXiv2010

Goldstone Bosons in Effective Theories with Spontaneously Broken Flavour Symmetry

The Flavour Symmetry of the Standard Model (SM) gauge sector is broken by the fermion Yukawa couplings. Promoting the Yukawa matrices to scalar spurion fields, one can break the flavour symmetry spontaneously by giving appropriate vacuum expectation values (VEVs) to the spurion fields, and one encounters Goldstone modes for every broken flavour symmetry generator. In this paper, we point out various aspects related to the possible dynamical interpretation of the Goldstone bosons: (i) In an effective-theory framework with local flavour symmetry, the Goldstone fields represent the longitudinal modes for massive gauge bosons. The spectrum of the latter follows the sequence of flavour-symmetry breaking related to the hierarchies in Yukawa couplings and flavour mixing angles. (ii) Gauge anomalies can be consistently treated by adding higher-dimensional operators. (iii) Leaving the U(1) factors of the flavour symmetry group as global symmetries, the respective Goldstone modes behave as axions which can be used to resolve the strong CP problem by a modified Peccei-Quinn mechanism. (iv) The dynamical picture of flavour symmetry breaking implies new sources of flavour-changing neutral currents, which arise from integrating out heavy scalar spurion fields and heavy gauge bosons. The coefficients of the effective operators follow the minimal-flavour violation principle.

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