Fundamental Tests of P and CP Symmetries Using Octet Baryons at the $J/\psi$ Threshold

Abstract

We systematically investigate tests of the parity P and the combined parity and charge-conjugate CP symmetries from differential angular distributions of $J/\psi$ decaying into the lowest-lying baryon pairs at BESIII and the next-generation super tau-charm facilities (STCFs). Large corrections from $Z$ and $W$ exchange induced parity violating effects are found for $J/\psi$ decays with large logarithms resummed up to $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s)$. The parity-violating asymmetries on the production and the decay sides of $J/\psi$ are both estimated to be of $\mathcal{O}(10^{-4})$, thus barely observable with the 10 billion $J/\psi$ events currently collected at BESIII. Nevertheless, these asymmetries utilizing the current BESIII data already permit a measurement of the weak mixing angle with an absolute uncertainty $\delta s_w^2\approx{0.09}$, corresponding to the first determination of $s_w^2$ at the $J/\psi$ threshold. In the future, STCFs are estimated to improve this bound by a factor of $\sim\,20$ to $\delta s_w^2\approx{0.005}$ within one year based on luminosity rescaling. We also obtain the 95% confidence level upper bounds on the electric dipole moments of the octet baryons, which are of $\mathcal{O}(10^{-18})\,e{\rm\,cm}$ for BESIII and $\mathcal{O}(10^{-19})\,e{\rm\,cm}$ for STCFs. These bounds are improved by two to three orders of magnitude in comparison with the only existing one on $\Lambda$ from Fermilab. The method discussed in this work also paves a way for a first and direct measurement of the $\Xi$ and $\Sigma$ electric dipole moments.