Theory status of $b\to s \ell^+\ell^-$ decays and their combined analysis

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current theoretical understanding and experimental status of b to s l+ l- decays, emphasizing the importance of global analyses in probing potential new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical framework, recent experimental results, and the prospects for combined analyses of b to s l+ l- decays for new physics searches.

Findings

Experimental data on b --> s l^+ l^- decays has significantly increased.

Global analyses are now feasible with upcoming high-statistics data.

Theoretical predictions utilize form factor symmetries and optimized observables.

Abstract

The experimental information on b --> s l^+ l^- decays has grown enormously during the last couple of years due to BaBar, Belle, CDF and LHCb. Especially, exclusive modes B --> K^(*) l^+ l^-, which have the largest rate and are easily accessible experimentally, provide a variety of observables which constrain non-standard interactions that would affect these flavour-changing neutral current decays beyond the Standard Model. Nowadays, theoretical predictions focus on low- and high dilepton invariant mass regions, where expansions in Lambda_QCD/m_b and form factor symmetries provide means to identify optimised observables. The first experimental results of non-optimised observables have stimulated first global analysis of b --> s l^+ l^- decays in combination with b --> s photon and B_s --> mu^+ mu^-. Such global analysis are now ready to be applied to include high-statistics results from LHCb and Super-Flavour factories which are about to come within the next years.