$Z \to \pi^+\pi^-, K^+K^-$: A touchstone of the PQCD approach

Abstract

We study two rare decays, $Z \to \pi^+\pi^-$ and $K^+K^-$, in the perturbative QCD approach up to the next-to-leading order of the strong coupling and the leading power of $1/m_Z$, $m_Z$ being the $Z$ boson mass. The branching ratios $\mathcal{B}(Z\to \pi^+\pi^-) = (0.83 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.02 \pm 0.04)\times 10^{-12}$ and $\mathcal{B}(Z\to K^+K^-) = (1.74^{+0.03}_{-0.05} \pm 0.04 \pm 0.02)\times 10^{-12}$ are obtained and can be measured at a tera-$Z$ factory. Because the subleading-power contributions to the branching ratios are negligible, and the leading one does not depend on any free parameter, the two channels can serve as a touchstone for the applicability of the perturbative QCD approach.