Improved estimates of rareKdecay matrix elements fromK3decays

Abstract
The estimation of rare K decay matrix elements from K3 experimental data is extended beyond LO in chiral perturbation theory. Isospin-breaking effects at next-to-leading order (and partially next-to-next-to-leading order) in the chiral perturbation theory expansion, as well as QED radiative corrections, are now accounted for. The analysis relies mainly on the cleanness of two specific ratios of form factors, for which the theoretical control is excellent. As a result, the uncertainties on the K+π+νν¯ and KLπ0νν¯ matrix elements are reduced by a factor of about 7 and 4, respectively, and similarly for the direct CP-violating contributions to KLπ0e+e and KLπ0μ+μ. They could be reduced even further with better experimental data for the K3 slopes and the K3+ branching ratios. As a result, the nonparametric errors for B(Kπνν¯) and for the direct CP-violating contributions to B(KLπ0+) are now completely dominated by those on the short-distance physics.