No Pain, No Gain -- On the Challenges and Promises of Charm Studies

Understand

The observation of $D^0 - \bar D^0$ oscillations has left us in a tantalizing quandary concerning the theoretical interpretation: are they still compatible with the SM or might they require new dynamics (NP)? A comprehensive search for CP violation in $D$ decays should resolve the issue.

• Finding it should provide compelling evidence for the intervention of New Physics.
• While the absolute size of CP asymmetries will presumably be modest at best, the ratio of `signal' to `noise' -- i.e.
• NP over SM contributions -- might well be larger for $D$ than $B$ transitions.