V_{us} from hyperon semileptonic decays

A model-independent determination of the CKM matrix element V_{us} from five measured strangeness-changing hyperon semileptonic decays is performed. Flavor SU(3) symmetry breaking effects in the leading vector and axial-vector form factors are analyzed in the framework of the 1/N_c expansion of QCD. A fit to experimental data allows one to extract the value V_{us}=0.2199\pm 0.0026, which is comparable to the one from K_{e3} decays. This reconciliation is achieved through second-order symmetry breaking effects of a few percent in the form factors f_1, which increase their magnitudes over their SU(3) predictions.Comment: 23 pages, Revtex4, 12 tables, no figure

Semileptonic Hyperon Decays and CKM Unitarity

Using a technique that is not subject to first-order SU(3) symmetry breaking effects, we determine the $V_{us}$ element of the CKM matrix from data on semileptonic hyperon decays. We obtain $V_{us}$ =0.2250(27). This value is of similar precision to the one derived from $K_{l3}$, but higher and in better agreement with the unitarity requirement, $|V_{ud}|^2+|V_{us}|^2+|V_{ub}|^2=1$.Comment: 3 pages, 1 tabl

The electromagnetic effects in Ke4K_{e4} decay

The final state interaction of pions in $K_{e4}$ decay allows one to obtain the value of the isospin and angular momentum zero $\pi\pi$ scattering length $a_0^0$.We take into account the electromagnetic interaction of pions and isospin symmetry breaking effects caused by different masses of neutral and charged pions and estimate the impact of these effects on the procedure of scattering length extraction from $K_{e4}$ decay.Comment: 8 pages,1 figur

Non-leptonic B-decays, CP violation & the UT

We study the implication of the time-dependent CP asymmetry in $B\to\pi^+\pi^-$ decays on the extraction of weak phases taking into account the precise measurement of $\sin 2\beta$, obtained from the ``gold-plated''mode $B\to J/\psi K_S$. Predictions and uncertainties for the hadronic parameters are investigated in QCD factorization. Furthermore, independent theoretical and experimental tests of the factorization framework are briefly discussed. Finally, a model-independent bound on the unitarity triangle from CP violation in $B\to\pi^+\pi^-$ and $B\to J/\psi K_S$ is derived.Comment: 4 pages; 4 figures (requires epsfig, psfrag); To appear in the proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD 04), Montpellier, France, 5--10th July 200

Size of Isospin Breaking in Charged K(L4) Decay

We evaluate the size of isospin breaking corrections to form factors $f$ and $g$ of the $K_{\ell 4}$ decay process $K^+\to\pi^+\pi^-\ell^+\nu_{\ell}$ which is actually measured by the extended NA48 setup at CERN. We found that, keeping apart the effect of Coulomb interaction, isospin breaking does not affect modules. This is due to the cancelation between corrections of electromagnetic origin and those generated by the difference between up and down quark masses. On the other hand, electromagnetism affects considerably phases if the infrared divergence is dropped out using a minimal subtraction scheme. Consequently, the greatest care must be taken in the extraction of $\pi\pi$ phase shifts from experiment.Comment: 29 pages, LaTeX, 7 postscript figure

Study of SU(3) vortex-like configurations with a new maximal center gauge fixing method

We present a new way of fixing the gauge to (direct) maximal center gauge in SU(N) Yang-Mills theory and apply this method to SU(3) configurations which are vortex-like. We study the structure of the Z_3 configurations obtained after center-projecting the SU(3) ones.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. To appear in PL

Matrix Elements without Quark Masses on the Lattice

We introduce a new parameterization of four-fermion matrix elements which does not involve quark masses and thus allows a reduction of systematic uncertainties in physical amplitudes. As a result the apparent quadratic dependence of e'/e on m_s is removed. To simplify the matching between lattice and continuum renormalization schemes, we express our results in terms of Renormalization Group Invariant B-parameters which are renormalization-scheme and scale independent. As an application of our proposal, matrix elements of DeltaI=3/2 and SUSY DeltaF=2 ($F=S,C,B$) four-fermion operators have been computed.Comment: LATTICE99(Matrix Elements), 3 pages, 1 figure, BUHEP-99-2

The isospin symmetry breaking effects in Ke4K_{e4} decays

The Fermi-Watson theorem is generalized to the case of two coupled channels with different masses and applied to final state interaction in $K_{e4}$ decays. The impact of considered effect on the phase of the $\pi\pi$ scattering is estimated and shown that it can be crucial for scattering lengths extraction from experimental data on $K_{e4}$ decays

Semileptonic Hyperon Decays

We review the status of hyperon semileptonic decays. The central issue is the $V_{us}$ element of the CKM matrix, where we obtain $V_{us}=0.2250 (27)$. This value is of similar precision, but higher, than the one derived from $K_{l3}$, and in better agreement with the unitarity requirement, $|V_{ud}|^2+|V_{us}|^2+|V_{ub}|^2=1$. We find that the Cabibbo model gives an excellent fit of the existing form factor data on baryon beta decays ($\chi^{2} = 2.96$ for 3 degrees of freedom) with $F + D = 1.2670 \pm 0.0030$, $F - D = -0.341 \pm 0.016$, and no indication of flavour-SU(3)-breaking effects. We indicate the need of more experimental and theoretical work, both on hyperon beta decays and on $K_{l3}$ decays.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, Final version of this material is scheduled to appear in the Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science Vol. 5

A Quark-Antiquark Condensate in Three-Dimensional QCD

Three-dimensional lattice QCD is studied by Monte Carlo simulations within the quenched approximation. At zero temperature a quark-antiquark condensate is observed in the limit of vanishing quark masses. The condensate vanishes continuously at the finite-temperature deconfinement phase transition of the theory. A natural interpretation of this phenomenon in the full theory with dynamical quarks is in terms of the spontaneous flavor symmetry breaking $U(N_f) \to U(N_f/2)\times U(N_f/2)$. In addition, the spectrum of low-lying Dirac operator eigenvalues is computed and found to be consistent with a flat distribution at zero temperature, in agreement with analytical predictions.Comment: Extensive revision of the original version. 11 pages, 6 figures included as EPS files. The problem with figure encapsulation fixe