On The Theoretical Uncertainties In The Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment

I present a fairly detailed discussion of various contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon a{sub {mu}}. I try to give an unbiased evaluation of the validity of the SM prediction for this quantity and to point out some delicate issues involved in its calculation. I conclude that the theory uncertainties in the SM prediction for the muon anomalous magnetic moment are underestimated and a great deal of work will be required to reduce these uncertainties to the level required by experiment.

This research monograph covers extensively the theory of the muon anomalous magnetic moment and provides estimates of the theoretical uncertainties. The muon anomalous magnetic moment is one of the most precisely measured quantities in elementary particle physics and provides one of the most stringent tests of relativistic quantum field theory as a fundamental theoretical framework. It allows for an extremely precise check of the standard model of elementary particles and of its limitations. This book reviews the present state of knowledge of the anomalous magnetic moment a=(g-2)/2 of the muon. Recent experiments at the Brookhaven National Laboratory now reach the unbelievable precision of 0.5 parts per million, improving the accuracy of previous g-2 experiments at CERN by a factor of 14. In addition, quantum electrodynamics and electroweak and hadronic effects are reviewed. Since non-perturbative hadronic effects play a key role for the precision test, their evaluation is described in detail. Perspectives for future improvements of the theoretical and experimental precision are considered. The new edition features improved theoretical predictions to match upcoming experiments, like the one at Fermilab. Additionally the new more precise basic parameters are presented.

The theory of the muon anomalous magnetic moment is particle physics in a nutshell. It is an interesting, exciting and difficult subject, and this book provides a comprehensive review of it. The theory of the muon anomalous magnetic moment is at the cutting edge of current research in particle physics, and any deviation between the theoretical prediction and the experimental value might be interpreted as a signal of an as-yet-unknown new physics.

This book reviews the present state of knowledge of the anomalous magnetic moment a=(g-2)/2 of the muon. The muon anomalous magnetic moment is one of the most precisely measured quantities in elementary particle physics and provides one of the most stringent tests of relativistic quantum field theory as a fundamental theoretical framework. It allows for an extremely precise check of the standard model of elementary particles and of its limitations.

It seems to be a strange enterprise to attempt write a physics book about a single number. It was not my idea to do so, but why not. In mathematics, maybe, one would write a book about?. Certainly, the muon's anomalous magnetic moment is a very special number and today re?ects almost the full spectrum of e?ects incorporated in today's Standard Model (SM) of fun- mental interactions, including the electromagnetic, the weak and the strong forces. The muon g? 2, how it is also called, is a truly fascinating theme both from an experimental and from a theoretical point of view and it has played a crucial role in the development of QED which?nally developed into the SM by successive inclusion of the weak and the strong interactions. The topic has fascinated a large number of particle physicists, last but not least it was always a benchmark for theory as a monitor for e?ects beyond what was known at the time. As an example, nobody could believe that a muon is just a heavy version of an electron; why should nature repeat itself, it hardly can make sense.

These proceedings consist of plenary rapporteur talks covering topics of major interest to the high energy physics community and parallel sessions papers which describe recent research results and future plans.

This volume comprises a collection of invited papers presented at the interna tional symposium "The Future of Muon Physics", May 7-9 1991, at the Ruprecht Karls-Universitat in Heidelberg. In the inspiring atmosphere of the Internationales Wissenschaftsforum researchers working worldwide at universities and at many inter national accelerator centers came together to review the present status of the field and to discuss the future directions in muon physics. The muon, charged lepton of the second generation, was first oberved some sixty years ago~ Despite many efforts since, the reason for its existence still remains a secret to the scientific community challenging both theorists and experimentalists. In modern physics the muon plays a key role in many topics of research. Atomic physics with negative muons provides excellent tests of the theory of quantum electrodynamics and of the electro-weak interaction and probes nuclear properties. The. purely leptonic hydrogen-like muonium atom allows tests of fun damental laws in physics and the determination of precise values for fundamental constants. New measurements of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon will probe the renormalizability of the weak interaction and will be sensitive to physics beyond the standard model. The muon decay is the most carefully studied weak process. Searches for rare decay modes of muons and for the conversion of muonium to antimuonium examine the lepton number conservation laws and new speculative theories. Nuclear muon capture addresses fundamental questions like tests of the CPT theorem.

'Sidney Coleman was the master teacher of quantum field theory. All of us who knew him became his students and disciples. Sidney’s legendary course remains fresh and bracing, because he chose his topics with a sure feel for the essential, and treated them with elegant economy.' Frank WilczekNobel Laureate in Physics 2004 Sidney Coleman was a physicist's physicist. He is largely unknown outside of the theoretical physics community, and known only by reputation to the younger generation. He was an unusually effective teacher, famed for his wit, his insight and his encyclopedic knowledge of the field to which he made many important contributions. There are many first-rate quantum field theory books (the venerable Bjorken and Drell, the more modern Itzykson and Zuber, the now-standard Peskin and Schroeder, and the recent Zee), but the immediacy of Prof. Coleman's approach and his ability to present an argument simply without sacrificing rigor makes his book easy to read and ideal for the student. Part of the motivation in producing this book is to pass on the work of this outstanding physicist to later generations, a record of his teaching that he was too busy to leave himself.

The contents of this book are derived from a celebration of the 70th birthday of Vernon W Hughes. Professor Hughes' career has touched on several areas in modern physics ranging from precision measurements of the fundamental properties of atoms to measurements of spin structure functions of the proton via deep inelastic muon scattering at the world's highest energy fixed target machines. This observance of his 70th birthday brings together experimental and theoretical physicists who are leaders of the many fields in which he has made contributions.