Model-independent bounds on new physics effects in non-leptonic tree-level decays of B-mesons

TL;DR

This paper refines model-independent bounds on new physics in non-leptonic B-meson decays, showing certain Wilson coefficient contributions remain unconstrained at 90% CL, potentially affecting CKM angle measurements and decay rate differences.

Contribution

It provides improved bounds on new physics effects in B-meson decays and updates Standard Model predictions with better non-perturbative inputs.

Findings

Contributions of ±0.1 to Wilson coefficient Q2 are not excluded at 90% CL.

Contributions of ±0.5 to Wilson coefficient Q1 can modify CKM angle γ by up to 10°.

Enhanced decay rate difference ΔΓ_d could be up to 5 times the SM value.

Abstract

We present a considerably improved analysis of model-independent bounds on new physics effects in non-leptonic tree-level decays of B-mesons. Our main finding is that contributions of about $\pm 0.1 $ to the Wilson coefficient of the colour-singlet operator $Q_2$ of the effective weak Hamiltonian and contributions in the range of $\pm 0.5$ (both for real and imaginary part) to $Q_1$ can currently not be excluded at the $90\%$ C.L.. Effects of such a size can modify the direct experimental extraction of the CKM angle $\gamma$ by up to $10^{\circ}$ and they could lead to an enhancement of the decay rate difference $\Delta \Gamma_d$ of up to a factor of 5 over its SM value - a size that could explain the D0 dimuon asymmetry. Future more precise measurements of the semi-leptonic asymmetries $a_{sl}^q$ and the lifetime ratio $\tau (B_s) / \tau (B_d)$ will allow to shrink the bounds on tree-level new physics effects considerably. Due to significant improvements in the precision of the non-perturbative input we update all SM predictions for the mixing obervables in the course of this analysis, obtaining: $\Delta M_s = (18.77 \pm 0.86 ) \, \mbox{ps}^{-1}$, $\Delta M_d = (0.543 \pm 0.029) \, \mbox{ps}^{-1}$, $\Delta \Gamma_s = (9.1 \pm 1.3 ) \cdot 10^{-2} \, \mbox{ps}^{-1}$, $\Delta \Gamma_d = (2.6 \pm 0.4 ) \cdot 10^{-3} \, \mbox{ps}^{-1}$, $a_{sl}^s = (2.06 \pm 0.18) \cdot 10^{-5}$ and $a_{sl}^d = (-4.73 \pm 0.42) \cdot 10^{-4}$.