Final Activity Report Summary - FLAVIANET (Entering the high-precision era of flavour physics through the alliance of lattice simulations, effective field theories and experiment)
One of the most profound open questions in particle physics is to understand the pattern of fermion masses and mixings, and the source of fermion replication. The origin of CP violation is intimately related and has deep implications for cosmology. CP violation is a crucial ingredient to understand the surprising fact that the universe contains more matter than antimatter. Large-scale experimental efforts have begun to illuminate the above questions and new facilities such as LHC-B are already collecting data. Interpreting the experimental results in terms of the fundamental dynamics is often difficult owing to the uncertainties arising from hadronic contributions to measured quantities. This is an area where close collaboration between theory and experiment is essential. Such collaboration has been one of the aims of the network, which has put together the existing European expertise in those theoretical areas which are relevant for the data analysis.
A multidisciplinary approach, combining lattice technologies, dispersive methods, effective field theories (CHPT, HQET, NRQCD, SCET), higher-order perturbative tools and Monte Carlo event generators, has allowed a more efficient use of the experimental data to improve our current understanding of the flavour dynamics, and guide us towards a more fundamental theory, valid at higher energy scales. FLAVIANET has succeeded fostering a coordinated scientific effort in flavour physics, which has put European groups at the forefront of the international research in this area, actively contributing to a structured European science landscape. The results generated by FLAVIANET have led to more than 1.000 scientific publications and the training of a new generation of young scientists in this field of research. Flavour physics is a field on the rise.
In 2010 the largest flavour-physics experiment ever built, LHCb at CERN, has started to take data. Further the CERN experiment NA62 has begun to study Kaon decays with an unprecedented precision. The B-meson factory BELLE is currently upgraded to much higher luminosity and the BES-III facility in Beijing explores new frontiers in charm physics. It is therefore desirable that the European activity in flavour physics will be structured in a new ITN which builds on the experience of FLAVIANET.
A multidisciplinary approach, combining lattice technologies, dispersive methods, effective field theories (CHPT, HQET, NRQCD, SCET), higher-order perturbative tools and Monte Carlo event generators, has allowed a more efficient use of the experimental data to improve our current understanding of the flavour dynamics, and guide us towards a more fundamental theory, valid at higher energy scales. FLAVIANET has succeeded fostering a coordinated scientific effort in flavour physics, which has put European groups at the forefront of the international research in this area, actively contributing to a structured European science landscape. The results generated by FLAVIANET have led to more than 1.000 scientific publications and the training of a new generation of young scientists in this field of research. Flavour physics is a field on the rise.
In 2010 the largest flavour-physics experiment ever built, LHCb at CERN, has started to take data. Further the CERN experiment NA62 has begun to study Kaon decays with an unprecedented precision. The B-meson factory BELLE is currently upgraded to much higher luminosity and the BES-III facility in Beijing explores new frontiers in charm physics. It is therefore desirable that the European activity in flavour physics will be structured in a new ITN which builds on the experience of FLAVIANET.