- Accepted Paper
Muon lifetime and Fermi constant: an update
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 28 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/l12j-mdsl
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 28 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/l12j-mdsl
We present an updated prediction for the lifetime of the muon including a detailed analysis of all relevant uncertainties. Our prediction includes QED corrections up to order and state-of-the-art hadronic contributions based on dispersive methods. Radiative corrections and finite-electron-mass effects are parametrized by the correction factor in , for which we obtain . This reduces the uncertainty associated with by an order of magnitude compared to the previous prediction at order . We use our results to provide an updated value of the Fermi coupling constant, (consistent with the current PDG estimate). Further improvements will require better measurements of the muon lifetime and mass.
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