Explaining the Cabibbo Angle Anomaly

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Cabibbo Angle Anomaly, a recent deviation from Standard Model predictions in quark mixing measurements, exploring potential explanations within SMEFT and simplified new physics models.

Contribution

It analyzes the anomaly using gauge invariant dimension 6 operators and simplified models, proposing new directions for understanding the deviation.

Findings

The anomaly can be interpreted as a discrepancy in Fermi constant determinations.

Possible explanations involve new physics contributions to beta and muon decays.

Correlations with other SM anomalies suggest new model-building avenues.

Abstract

The Cabibbo-Cobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix parametrizes the misalignement between the up- and down-quark mass basis in the Standard Model (SM). The observation of first row CKM unitarity violation has recently emerged as a new anomaly of the SM, known as the "Cabibbo Angle Anomaly" (CAA). With current measurements, comparing the elements $V_{ud}$ and $V_{us}$ extracted from beta and kaon decays respectively, the tension with the SM prediction amounts to $\sim$$3\,\sigma$. Recently, it has been pointed out that this anomaly can also be seen as a discrepancy in the determination of the Fermi constant from muon decay vs $\beta$ and K decays, once CKM unitarity is assumed. In fact, possible explanations in terms on New Physics fall under two broad classes: contributions to $\beta$ decay and/or to $\mu$ decay. In this proceedings, we discuss these solutions in terms of gauge invariant dimension 6 operators in SMEFT and simplified extensions of the Standard Model. The latter could introduce correlations with other anomalies in the SM, pointing to new and interesting directions for model building.