Anatomy of prominent B and K decays and signatures of CP-violating new physics in the electroweak penguin sector

The recent observation of B-d --> pi(0) pi(0) at the B factories with a surprisingly large branching ratio represents a challenge for theory, and complements the amazingly small B-d --> pi(+) pi(-) rate. We point out that all puzzling B --> pi pi features can be accommodated in the Standard Model (SM) through non-factorizable hadronic interference effects, extract the relevant parameters, and predict the CP asymmetries of B-d --> pi(0) pi(0). Using then SU(3) flavour-symmetry and plausible dynamical assumptions, we fix the hadronic B --> pi K parameters through their B --> pi pi counterparts, and determine the CKM angle gamma, with a result in remarkable accordance with the usual fits for the unitarity triangle. We may then analyse the B --> pi K system in the SM, where we find agreement with the experimental picture, with the exception of those observables that are significantly affected by electroweak (EW) penguins, thereby suggesting new physics (NP) in this sector. Indeed, a moderate enhancement of these topologies and a large CP-violating NP phase allow us to describe any currently observed feature of the B --> pi K modes, and to predict the CP-violating B-d --> pi(0) K-S observables. If we then restrict ourselves to a specific scenario where NP enters only through Z(0) penguins, we obtain a link to rare K and B decays, where the most spectacular NP effects are an enhancement of the K-L --> pi(0) vv rate by one order of magnitude with Br(K-L --> pi(0) vv) approximate to 4Br(K+ --> pi(+)vv), Br(K-L --> pi(0) e(+)e(-)) = O(10(-10)), (sin2beta)(pivv) < 0, and a large forward-backward CP asymmetry in B-d --> K* mu(+)mu(-). We address also epsilon'/epsilon and other prominent decays, including B --> phiK and B --> J / Psi K modes. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.