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Predicting the τ strange branching ratios and implications for V us

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Abstract

Hadronic τ decays provide several ways to extract the Cabbibo-Kobashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element V us . The most precise determination involves using inclusive τ decays and requires as input the total branching ratio into strange final states. Recent results from B-factories have led to a discrepancy of about 3.4σ from the value of V us implied by CKM unitarity and direct determination from Kaon semi-leptonic modes. In this paper we predict the three leading strange τ branching ratios, using dispersive parameterizations of the hadronic form factors and taking as experimental input the measured Kaon decay rates and the τKπν τ decay spectrum. We then use our results to reevaluate V us , for which we find |V us | = 0.2207 ± 0.0027, in better agreement with CKM unitarity.

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Correspondence to Emilie Passemar.

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Antonelli, M., Cirigliano, V., Lusiani, A. et al. Predicting the τ strange branching ratios and implications for V us . J. High Energ. Phys. 2013, 70 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2013)070

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2013)070

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