Consistently computing the K -> pi long distance weak transition

First we extract the long-distance (LD) weak matrix element from certain data and give compatible theoretical estimates. We also link this LD scale to the single-quark-line (SQL) transition scale and then test the latter SQL scale against the decuplet weak decay amplitude ratio. Finally, we study LD decay. All of these experimental and theoretical values are in good agreement. We deduce an average value from eleven experimental determinations compared to the theoretical SQL values average.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures minor change to the Conclusions and abstract sectio

Constituent and current quark masses at low chiral energies

Light constituent quark masses and the corresponding dynamical quark masses are determined by data, the Quark-Level Linear $\sigma$ Model, and infrared QCD. This allows to define effective nonstrange and strange current quark masses which reproduce the experimental pion and kaon masses very accurately, by simple additivity. Moreover, the masses of the light scalar mesons $\sigma(600)$ and $\kappa(800)$ can be obtained straightforwardly from the constituent quark masses. In contrast, the usual nonstrange and strange current quark masses employed by Chiral Perturbation Theory do not allow a simple quantitative explanation of the pion and kaon masses.Comment: 5 pages, EPL style, accepted for publication in Europhys. Let

The η−η′\eta - \eta' Mixing Angle Revisited

The value of the $\eta - \eta'$ mixing angle $\theta_P$ is phenomenologically deduced from a rather exhaustive and up-to-date analysis of data including strong decays of tensor and higher-spin mesons, electromagnetic decays of vector and pseudoscalar mesons, $J/\psi$ decays into a vector and a pseudoscalar meson, and other transitions. A value of $\theta_P$ between $-17^\circ$ and $-13^\circ$ is consistent with all the present experimental evidence and the average $\theta_P=-15.5^\circ\pm 1.3^\circ$ seems to be favoured.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX. 2 references added, some comments on Chiral Perturbation Theor