New physics in $b\to s \ell\ell$ decays with complex Wilson coefficients

Understand

We perform a data-driven analysis of new physics (NP) effects in exclusive $b \to s \ell^+\ell^-$ decays in a model-independent effective theory approach with dimension six operators considering scalar, pseudo-scalar, vector and axial-vector operators with the corresponding Wilson coefficients (WC) taken to be complex.

• The analysis has been done with the most recent data while comparing the outcome with that from the relatively old data-set.
• We find that a left-handed quark current with vector muon coupling is the only one-operator $(\mathcal{O}_9)$ scenario that can explain the data in both the cases with real and complex WC with a large non-zero imaginary contribution.
• We simultaneously apply model selection tools like cross-validation and information-theoretic approach like Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to find out the operator or sets of operators that can best explain the available data in this channel.