Strange Things in Bottom-to-Strange Decays: The Standard Model Turned Upside Down?

Abstract

The flavour anomalies are a set of experimental deviations from the Standard Model (SM) predictions in several observables involving decays of bottom quarks. In particular, tensions between theory and experiment in measurements involving a bottom quark decaying into a strange quark and a pair of muons have motivated much theoretical work to explore possible new physics explanations. This review summarises the tumultuous evolution of these tensions, focusing on the most recent experimental results and their implications for physics beyond the SM. We also discuss the prospects for future measurements and tests of the flavour anomalies at the LHC and other facilities.