Here are some numbers. We typically parameterize
matter-antimatter asymmetries in terms of angles
or phases. If you plug in some experimental inputs
into Kobayashi and Maskawa’s formalism, it predicts
a phase in Bs mixing of about 2 degrees. So a matter-antimatter asymmetry is expected, but it should be
really small and undetectable by current experiments. However, Dzero, for example, is measuring a phase of
33 degrees. That’s what I mean by a big difference.

The 2 degrees is what we call the Standard Model
prediction. I don’t believe there is a firm super
symmetry or MSSM prediction.

The 33 degrees is a measure of the difference in
the mixing rate between matter oscillating into
antimatter versus antimatter oscillating back into matter. The overall rate averaged over the two cases agrees
pretty well with what we would expect based on the Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism.

You can take a look at when these measurements were
featured as Results of the Week on Fermilab Today:

The CDF result:
http://www.fnal.gov/pub/today/archive_2008/today08-01-17.html

The Dzero result:
http://www.fnal.gov/pub/today/archive_2008/today08-02-28.html

Or if you are more ambitious, take a look at the publications:

CDF’s publication:
http://arxiv.org/abs/0712.2397

Dzero’s publication:
http://arxiv.org/abs/0802.2255

Enjoy!
Brendan

Just to make sure I understand it thoroughly…You say “Its a big effect..and very large”. How large (even tho its only 2-3 sigma) is it, in other words how badly did the MSSM err in lieu of the SM prediction for the B_s rate ?
Jimbo

I think the answer is no one knows. But the current prejudice in the community is that while the higgs is a tera scale object, we think the secret to neutrino mass is closer to the scale of grand unification. Theorists then have ways of generating the small masses through whats called a see-saw mechanism. Check it out on wikipedia, that what I did last week to remind myself what the see-saw mechanism is.

This summer new results came out on the switching rate of Bs mesons from both D0 and CDF. What we are looking for is a difference in the switching rate between matter going to antimatter and antimatter going back to matter.

BOTH experiments see the same effect. The results are still compatible with no new physics at between the 5 and 10% level. The exciting thing is we already have almost twice as much data on tape already so if there is something there, we will know soon.

Its a big effect. The expectation is zero and the effect is very large. But the statistical statement is there is still a 5-10% chance it is just a fluctuation. Again here the interesting thing is that both experiments are seeing the same fluctuation in the same direction.

Brendan

Is understanding how the fundamental symmetries of nature are broken will benefit most of mankind? I don’t think 99.9% of mankind will benefit in the foreseeable future. But other branch of Physics effecting all mankind in this generation and generations for the next millennium GEOPHYSICS. The discoveries and improvements in the field of CLIMATE CHANGE can (with political will) benefit all mankind.

For Nobel to Charles Keeling we are to late so maybe Jim Hansen maybe someone else from the field. But the cosmic microwave background radiation is much less important then the radiation balance of Earth.

In this reply I don’t suggest to stop basic physics research but I hope the Grid will be available also to climate modeling for considerable time and the next Nobel will be connect to more pressing problems.

Was hoping you could help me understand the `dirty little secret’ of the Higgs: Why it does nothing to confer mass on all 3 neutrinos, for which there is near universal consensus that they are all massive, because of flavor changing. Is this not an Achilles heel of the SM ?
Also, the D0 group about one year ago, posted a news release about their measurement of the B_s switching rate, and that it was measured to be at significant variance with that predicted by the MSSM. No number was given. Is it a factor of 2, 10, or just a hefty percentage ?

Thanx,
Jimbo