Forward--Backward Asymmetry in B -> X_s l^+ l^- at the NNLL Level

We report the results of a new calculation of soft-gluon corrections in B -> X_s l^+ l^- decays. In particular, we present the first calculation of bremsstrahlung and corresponding virtual terms to the lepton forward-backward asymmetry, which allows us to systematically include all contributions to this observable beyond the lowest non-trivial order. The new terms are important, for instance the position of the zero of the asymmetry receives corrections of O(10%). Using a different method, we also provide an independent check of recently published results on bremsstrahlung and infrared virtual corrections to the dilepton-invariant mass distribution.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures. v2: typo in (4.26) corrected; discussion on mu-dependence modifie

On the possibility of a very light A^0 at low \tan\beta

The searches at LEP II for the processes e^+e^-\to h^0Z and e^+e^-\to h^0A^0 in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) fail to exclude regions of the m_h,m_A plane where \tan\beta <1, thus allowing a very light A^0 (m_A< 20 GeV). Such a parameter choice would predict a light H^\pm with m_{H^\pm}< m_W. Although the potentially large branching ratio for H^\pm \to A^0 W^* would ensure that H^\pm also escaped detection in direct searches at LEP II and the Tevatron Run I, we show that this elusive parameter space is overwhelmingly disfavoured by electroweak precision measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, Revtex, references added, minor additions to tex

Supersymmetric contributions to B -> D K and the determination of angle \gamma

We analyze supersymmetric contributions to B^- -> D^0 K^- and B^- ->\bar{D}^0 K^- processes. We investigate the possibility that supersymmetric CP violating phases can affect our determination for the angle \gamma in the unitary triangle of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskaw mixing matrix. We calculate the gluino and chargino contributions to b--> u(\bar{c}s) and b-->c(\bar{u}s) transitions in a model independent way by using the mass insertion approximation method. We also revise the D^0 - \bar{D}^0 mixing constraints on the mass insertions between the first and second generations of the up sector. We emphasize that in case of negligible D^0 -\bar{D}^0 mixing, one should consider simultaneous contributions from more than one mass insertion in order to be able to obtain the CP asymmetries of these processes within their 1\sigma experimental range. However, with a large D^0-\bar{D}^0 mixing, one finds a significant deviation between the two asymmetries and it becomes natural to have them of order the central values of their experimental measurements.Comment: 20 page

NNLL QCD Corrections to the Decay B→Xsℓ+ℓ−B \to X_s \ell^+ \ell^-

We briefly discuss the status of the NNLL QCD calculations in the inclusive rare B decay $B \to X_s \ell^+ \ell^-$. Two important ingredients, the two-loop matrix elements of the four quark operator ${\cal O}_2$ and the bremsstrahlung contributions, were quite recently finalised. The new contributions significantly improve the sensitivity of the inclusive decay $B \to X_s l^+ l^-$ decay in testing extensions of the standard model in the sector of flavour dynamics; for instance the two-loop calculation cuts the low- scale uncertainty in half and the bremsstrahlung calculation leads to a 10% shift of the position of the zero of the forward- backward asymmetry.Comment: 7 pages, latex, 5 figures, references adde

NNLL QCD Contribution of the Electromagnetic Dipole Operator to Gamma(anti-B -> X(s) gamma)

We present an independent calculation of that part of the O(\alpha_s^2) contribution to the decay width \Gamma(\bar B -> X_s \gamma) which arises from the self-interference term of the electromagnetic dipole operator O_7. Using a different method, we find complete agreement with a previous calculation. This NNLL contribution is an important ingredient for the complete NNLL prediction of \Gamma(\bar B -> X_s \gamma) which will resolve the charm quark mass ambiguity appearing at NLL accuracy.Comment: 15 pages, uses axodraw.st

Flavor changing Z-decays from scalar interactions at a Giga-Z Linear Collider

The flavor changing decay Z -> d_I \bar{d}_J is investigated with special emphasis on the b \bar{s} final state. Various models for flavor violation are considered: two Higgs doublet models (2HDM's), supersymmetry (SUSY) with flavor violation in the up and down-type squark mass matrices and SUSY with flavor violation mediated by R-parity-violating interaction. We find that, within the SUSY scenarios for flavor violation, the branching ratio for the decay Z -> b \bar{s} can reach 10^{-6} for large \tan\beta values, while the typical size for this branching ratio in the 2HDM's considered is about two orders of magnitudes smaller at best. Thus, flavor changing SUSY signatures in radiative Z decays such as Z -> b \bar{s} may be accessible to future ``Z factories'' such as a Giga-Z version of the TESLA design.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figures, REVTeX4. A new section added and a few minor corrections were made in the tex

SUSY-Induced Top Quark FCNC Processes at Linear Colliders

In the Minimal Supersymmetric Model (MSSM) the hitherto unconstrained flavor mixing between top-squark and charm-squark will induce the flavor-changing neutral-current (FCNC) interaction between top quark and charm quark, which then give rise to various processes at the next generation linear collider (NLC), i.e., the top-charm associated productions via $e^+ e^-$, $e^- \gamma$ and $\gamma \gamma$ collisions as well as the top quark rare decays $t \to c V$ ($V=g$, $\gamma$ or $Z$). All these processes involve the same part of the parameter space of the MSSM. Through a comparative analysis for all these processes at the NLC, we found the best channel to probe such SUSY-induced top quark FCNC is the top-charm associated production in $\gamma \gamma$ collision, which occurs at a much higher rate than $e^+ e^-$ or $e^- \gamma$ collision and may reach the detectable level for some part of the parameter space. Since the rates predicted by the Standard Model are far below the detectable level, the observation of such FCNC events would be a robust indirect evidence of SUSY.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures (more refs added, discussions extended

SUSY GUT Model Building

I discuss an evolution of SUSY GUT model building, starting with the construction of 4d GUTs, to orbifold GUTs and finally to orbifold GUTs within the heterotic string. This evolution is an attempt to obtain realistic string models, perhaps relevant for the LHC. This review is in memory of the sudden loss of Julius Wess, a leader in the field, who will be sorely missed.Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, lectures given at PiTP 2008, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, to be published in the European Physical Journal

Flavor Physics in an SO(10) Grand Unified Model

In supersymmetric grand-unified models, the lepton mixing matrix can possibly affect flavor-changing transitions in the quark sector. We present a detailed analysis of a model proposed by Chang, Masiero and Murayama, in which the near-maximal atmospheric neutrino mixing angle governs large new b -> s transitions. Relating the supersymmetric low-energy parameters to seven new parameters of this SO(10) GUT model, we perform a correlated study of several flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes. We find the current bound on B(tau -> mu gamma) more constraining than B(B -> X_s gamma). The LEP limit on the lightest Higgs boson mass implies an important lower bound on tan beta, which in turn limits the size of the new FCNC transitions. Remarkably, the combined analysis does not rule out large effects in B_s-B_s-bar mixing and we can easily accomodate the large CP phase in the B_s-B_s-bar system which has recently been inferred from a global analysis of CDF and DO data. The model predicts a particle spectrum which is different from the popular Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM). B(tau -> mu gamma) enforces heavy masses, typically above 1 TeV, for the sfermions of the degenerate first two generations. However, the ratio of the third-generation and first-generation sfermion masses is smaller than in the CMSSM and a (dominantly right-handed) stop with mass below 500 GeV is possible.Comment: 44 pages, 5 figures. Footnote and references added, minor changes, Fig. 2 corrected; journal versio