- Open Access
Lattice calculation of light meson radiative leptonic decays
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 (, ) using 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 and , can reach the level of and are essential at the current level of theoretical and experimental precision. After including these corrections, our result for agrees with the PIBETA measurement; for , our results are consistent with the KLOE data and exhibit a tension with E36; and for , 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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