6533b854fe1ef96bd12af26e

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Rare kaon decays

subject

description

Abstract More and more sophisticated experiments and continuous progress in the theoretical understanding of rare kaon decays have proven how rich this field of particle physics is. This article summarizes the present situation of the phenomenology and the experiments. Prospects for the future are given and discussed. The decays are ordered from the less rare to the very rare. Recently there has been quite some progress concerning the first category of decays presented here, the radiative decays, and tests of chiral perturbation theory. The CP violating decays discussed next are complementary to the KL → 2π decays and offer additional insight into the mechanism of direct CP violation. Decays suppressed in the Standard Model are unique windows for new physics and may provide the best measurements of some parameters of the Standard Model. The very rare decays, forbidden in the Standard Model, open large windows for new physics and restrict extensions of the Standard Model which typically allow such decays. Progress in experimental techniques allows to push the sensitivity as far as 10−12 to 10−13.