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  • Open Access

Lattice calculation of light meson radiative leptonic decays

Peter Boyle1,2, Norman H. Christ3, Xu Feng4,5,6, Taku Izubuchi1,7, Luchang Jin8, Christopher T. Sachrajda9, and Xin-Yu Tuo1,*

  • *Contact author: ttxxyy.tuo@gmail.com

Phys. Rev. D 114, 014504 – Published 7 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qvwy-zmtp

Abstract

In this work, we perform a lattice QCD calculation of the branching ratios and the form factors of radiative leptonic decays P→ℓνℓγ (P=π, K) using Nf=2+1 domain wall fermion ensembles generated by the RBC and UKQCD Collaborations at the physical pion mass. We adopt the infinite-volume reconstruction (IVR) method, which extends lattice data to infinite volume and effectively controls the finite-volume effects. This study represents a first step toward a complete calculation of radiative corrections to leptonic decays using the IVR method, including both real photon emissions and virtual photon loops. For decays involving a final-state electron, collinear radiative corrections, enhanced by the large logarithmic factors such as ln(mπ2/me2) and ln(mK2/me2), can reach the level of O(10%) and are essential at the current level of theoretical and experimental precision. After including these corrections, our result for π→eνeγ agrees with the PIBETA measurement; for K→eνeγ, our results are consistent with the KLOE data and exhibit a 1.7σ tension with E36; and for K→μνμγ, where radiative corrections are negligible, our results confirm the previously observed discrepancies between lattice results and the ISTRA/OKA measurements at large photon energies, and with the E787 results at large muon-photon angles.

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