CP- and T-Violation in the Decay K_L -> pi+ pi- e+ e- and Related Processes

Abstract

I review the theoretical basis of the prediction that the decay K_L -> pi+ pi- e+ e- should show a large CP- and T-violation, a prediction now confirmed by the KTeV experiment. The genesis of the effect lies in a large violation of CP- and T-invariance in the decay K_L -> pi+ pi- gamma, which is encrypted in the polarization state of the photon. The decay K_L -> pi+ pi- e+ e- serves as an analyser of the photon polarization. The asymmetry in the distribution of the angle phi between the pi+ pi- and e+ e- planes is a direct measure of the CP-odd, T-odd component of the photon's Stokes vector. A complete study of the angular distribution can reveal further CP-violating features, which probe the non-radiative (charge-radius and short-distance) components of the K_L -> pi+ pi- e+ e- amplitude.