The Physics of DAFNE and KLOE

Abstract

DAFNE, the Frascati phi factory, has been in operation since 1999. At the center of the physics program is the KLOE experiment, a multipurpose detector with optimizations for tagged and interferometry-based measurements of the neutral kaon system. KLOE has been taking data since 2000 and has helped to explore a wide array of topics in kaon and hadronic physics, including a comprehensive set of measurements to determine the CKM matrix element |Vus|, and a measurement of the e+e- --> pi+pi- cross section for the determination of the hadronic contribution to the muon anomaly. In addition, the DEAR experiment has measured the X-ray spectrum of kaonic hydrogen, and the FINUDA experiment has conducted its first studies in hypernuclear spectroscopy and a search for \bar{K}-nuclear bound states. We review the design, construction, and operation of the DAFNE facility, with an emphasis on the physics program of the KLOE experiment.Comment: 39 pages, 18 figures. With permission from the Annual Review of Particle and Nuclear Science. Final version of this material is scheduled to appear in the Annual Review of Particle Nuclear and Science, vol. 56, to be published in November 2006 by Annual Reviews (http://www.annualreviews.org) v2: Corrected misprint in Eq.