Radiative B Decays: Standard Candles of Flavor Physics

Abstract

Rare radiative decays based on b->s+gamma transitions are among the most prominent examples of flavor-changing neutral current processes. They benefit from good theoretical control and experimental accessibility, large sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model, and the availability of many observables. In this talk I summarize the status of the theoretical understanding of these decays and review how they may be used to constrain extensions of the Standard Model, with particular focus on supersymmetric models.

12 pages, 10 figures. Invited plenary talk presented at the 10th International Conference on "Supersymmetry and Unification" (DESY, Hamburg, 17-23 June 2002)