On pion mass and decay constant from theory

We calculate the pion mass from Goldstone modes in the Higgs mechanism related to the neutron decay. The Goldstone pion modes acquire mass by a vacuum misalignment of the Higgs field. The size of the misalignment is controlled by the ratio between the electronic and the nucleonic energy scales. The nucleonic energy scale is involved in the neutron to proton transformation and the electronic scale is involved in the related creation of the electronic state in the course of the electroweak neutron decay. The respective scales influence the mapping of the intrinsic configuration spaces used in our description. The configuration spaces are the Lie groups U(3) for the nucleonic sector and U(2) for the electronic sector. These spaces are both compact and lead to periodic potentials in the Hamiltonians in coordinate space. The periodicity and strengths of these potentials control the vacuum misalignment and leads to a pion mass of 135.2(1.5) MeV with an uncertainty mainly from the fine structure coupling at pionic energies. The pion decay constant 92 MeV results from comparing the fourth order self-coupling in an effective pion field theory with the corresponding fourth order term in the Higgs potential. We suggest analogies with the Goldberger-Treiman relation.

Comprehensive analysis of beta decays within and beyond the Standard Model

Precision measurements in allowed nuclear beta decays and neutron decay are reviewed and analyzed both within the Standard Model and looking for new physics. The analysis incorporates the most recent experimental and theoretical developments. The results are interpreted in terms of Wilson coefficients describing the effective interactions between leptons and nucleons (or quarks) that are responsible for beta decay. New global fits are performed incorporating a comprehensive list of precision measurements in neutron decay, superallowed 0+→ 0+ transitions, and other nuclear decays that include, for the first time, data from mirror beta transitions. The results confirm the V-A character of the interaction and translate into updated values for Vud and gA at the 10−4 level. We also place new stringent limits on exotic couplings involving left-handed and right-handed neutrinos, which benefit significantly from the inclusion of mirror decays in the analysis.