The $Zα^2$ correction to superallowed beta decays in effective field theory and implications for $|V_{ud}|$

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Autori principali: Cao, Zehua, Hill, Richard J., Plestid, Ryan, Griend, Peter Vander
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Cao, Zehua
Hill, Richard J.
Plestid, Ryan
Griend, Peter Vander
author_facet Cao, Zehua
Hill, Richard J.
Plestid, Ryan
Griend, Peter Vander
contents Superallowed ($0^+\rightarrow0^+$) beta decays currently provide the most precise extraction of quark mixing in the Standard Model. Their interpretation as a measurement of $|V_{ud}|$ relies on a reliable first-principles computation of QED radiative corrections expressed as a series in $Zα$ and $α$. In this work, we provide the first model-independent result for two-loop, $O(Zα^2)$, long-distance radiative corrections where the nuclei are treated as heavy point-like particles. We use renormalization group analysis to obtain new results at $O(Zα^3)$ for the coefficient of double-logarithms in the ratio of the maximal beta energy to the inverse nuclear size, $\Em/R^{-1}$. We use the Kinoshita-Lee-Nauenberg theorem to obtain new results at $O(Z^2α^3)$ for the coefficient of logarithms in the ratio of maximal beta energy to the electron mass, $\log(2\Em/\me)$. We identify a structure-dependent, and therefore short-distance, contribution to the traditional $Zα^2$ correction that should be revisited.. We provide the first comprehensive update to the long-distance corrections in almost forty years and comment on the impact of our findings for extractions of $|V_{ud}|$. We find that shifts in the long-distance corrections are $2.5\times$ larger than past estimates of their uncertainty, $1.5\times$ larger than the statistical uncertainty from the combined fit of superallowed decays, and about $1/2$ the size of estimated systematic error, which stems dominantly from nuclear structure effects.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_05446
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The $Zα^2$ correction to superallowed beta decays in effective field theory and implications for $|V_{ud}|$
Cao, Zehua
Hill, Richard J.
Plestid, Ryan
Griend, Peter Vander
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Experiment
Nuclear Theory
Superallowed ($0^+\rightarrow0^+$) beta decays currently provide the most precise extraction of quark mixing in the Standard Model. Their interpretation as a measurement of $|V_{ud}|$ relies on a reliable first-principles computation of QED radiative corrections expressed as a series in $Zα$ and $α$. In this work, we provide the first model-independent result for two-loop, $O(Zα^2)$, long-distance radiative corrections where the nuclei are treated as heavy point-like particles. We use renormalization group analysis to obtain new results at $O(Zα^3)$ for the coefficient of double-logarithms in the ratio of the maximal beta energy to the inverse nuclear size, $\Em/R^{-1}$. We use the Kinoshita-Lee-Nauenberg theorem to obtain new results at $O(Z^2α^3)$ for the coefficient of logarithms in the ratio of maximal beta energy to the electron mass, $\log(2\Em/\me)$. We identify a structure-dependent, and therefore short-distance, contribution to the traditional $Zα^2$ correction that should be revisited.. We provide the first comprehensive update to the long-distance corrections in almost forty years and comment on the impact of our findings for extractions of $|V_{ud}|$. We find that shifts in the long-distance corrections are $2.5\times$ larger than past estimates of their uncertainty, $1.5\times$ larger than the statistical uncertainty from the combined fit of superallowed decays, and about $1/2$ the size of estimated systematic error, which stems dominantly from nuclear structure effects.
title The $Zα^2$ correction to superallowed beta decays in effective field theory and implications for $|V_{ud}|$
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Nuclear Experiment
Nuclear Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.05446