Particle Colloquium: Probing the Standard Model using measurements of semi-leptonic decays at Belle and Belle II
Abstract:
The Standard Model of particle physics (SM) has been completed with the observation of the Higgs boson in 2012. However, many questions like the explanation for the large matter-antimatter asymmetry observed in today's universe or the hierarchy problem remain unanswered. The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider at KEK aims at providing new insights into these and other questions by performing indirect searches for physics beyond the SM in the electro-weak sector. The kinematic constraints from the well-defined initial state are especially advantageous in semi-leptonic decays with missing energy.
For some time, a persistent deviation between the standard model expectation and the experimental results is observed for the ratio R(D(*)) between the branching fractions B(B → D(*) τ+ντ) and B(B → D(*) l+νl) (l = e, µ), which hints at a potential violation of lepton flavor universality. One of the leading uncertainties in the measurements is the limited understanding of semi-leptonic decays involving orbitally excited charmed mesons (D**). In my presentation I will show current studies and the latest results by Belle and Belle II on R(D(*)) and B → D** l+νl decays.
Further information can be found in the corresponding Indico entry.