The article reviews recent results from kaon physics experiments at CERN's NA48 and Fermilab's KTeV. Both experiments have made significant advancements in measuring the parameter Re($\epsilon'/\epsilon$), which quantifies direct CP violation in neutral kaon decays. The NA48 collaboration has completed an analysis of data from 1997 to 2001, while KTeV has published results from 1996 and 1997. The combined world average for Re($\epsilon'/\epsilon$) is (16.6 ± 1.6) × 10$^{-4}$, confirming the existence of direct CP violation at a 10$\sigma$ level.
In addition to direct CP violation, both experiments have studied rare $K_L$ decays. KTeV has observed $K_L \rightarrow \gamma^* \gamma^*$ decays with a branching fraction of (4.07 ± 0.12) × 10$^{-8}$ and $K_L \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- e^+ e^-$ decays with a branching fraction of (2.69 ± 0.24) × 10$^{-9}$. KTeV has also searched for the very rare decay $K_L \rightarrow \pi^0 e^+ e^-$, setting an upper limit of Br($K_L \rightarrow \pi^0 e^+ e^-$) < 2.8 × 10$^{-10}$ at 90% confidence level.
The NA48 experiment has performed special high-intensity runs to study rare $K_S$ decays. It has observed the first signal for $K_S \rightarrow \pi^0 e^+ e^-$ with a branching fraction of (3.0 ± 1.5) × 10$^{-9}$, and set a limit on $K_S \rightarrow 3\pi^0$ decays, improving the previous best limit by one order of magnitude. The NA48/2 experiment is currently investigating $K^\pm$ decays, aiming to search for direct CP violation in the slope of the $K^\pm \rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^\pm$ Dalitz plot and measure the CKM matrix element $V_{us}$.
Overall, these experiments continue to advance our understanding of CP violation and low-energy meson dynamics, with implications for the Standard Model and beyond.The article reviews recent results from kaon physics experiments at CERN's NA48 and Fermilab's KTeV. Both experiments have made significant advancements in measuring the parameter Re($\epsilon'/\epsilon$), which quantifies direct CP violation in neutral kaon decays. The NA48 collaboration has completed an analysis of data from 1997 to 2001, while KTeV has published results from 1996 and 1997. The combined world average for Re($\epsilon'/\epsilon$) is (16.6 ± 1.6) × 10$^{-4}$, confirming the existence of direct CP violation at a 10$\sigma$ level.
In addition to direct CP violation, both experiments have studied rare $K_L$ decays. KTeV has observed $K_L \rightarrow \gamma^* \gamma^*$ decays with a branching fraction of (4.07 ± 0.12) × 10$^{-8}$ and $K_L \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- e^+ e^-$ decays with a branching fraction of (2.69 ± 0.24) × 10$^{-9}$. KTeV has also searched for the very rare decay $K_L \rightarrow \pi^0 e^+ e^-$, setting an upper limit of Br($K_L \rightarrow \pi^0 e^+ e^-$) < 2.8 × 10$^{-10}$ at 90% confidence level.
The NA48 experiment has performed special high-intensity runs to study rare $K_S$ decays. It has observed the first signal for $K_S \rightarrow \pi^0 e^+ e^-$ with a branching fraction of (3.0 ± 1.5) × 10$^{-9}$, and set a limit on $K_S \rightarrow 3\pi^0$ decays, improving the previous best limit by one order of magnitude. The NA48/2 experiment is currently investigating $K^\pm$ decays, aiming to search for direct CP violation in the slope of the $K^\pm \rightarrow \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^\pm$ Dalitz plot and measure the CKM matrix element $V_{us}$.
Overall, these experiments continue to advance our understanding of CP violation and low-energy meson dynamics, with implications for the Standard Model and beyond.