On the Effective Lifetime of $b_s \to \mu \mu \Gamma$

The $B_s \to \mu^+ \mu^- \gamma$ decay has been recently reappraised from both theoretical and experimental viewpoints. An accurate rate prediction is at present hampered by the limited knowledge of $B_s \to \gamma$ form factors, as well as by the presence of resonances in the di-lepton mass spectrum. We consider the $B_s \to \mu^+ \mu^- \gamma$ effective lifetime and the related CP-phase sensitive quantity $A_{\Delta \Gamma_s}^{\mu\mu \gamma}$. The latter is naturally a ratio-of-amplitudes observable. As such, we find it to have drastically reduced sensitivity to the mentioned long-distance uncertainties. This feature makes it an exquisite probe of new effects in the very same Wilson coefficients that are associated to current $b \to s$ discrepancies. We find that imaginary shifts as large as allowed by present data would be neatly probed by $A_{\Delta \Gamma_s}^{\mu\mu \gamma}$, regardless of the detailed assumptions on long-distance dynamics. We explore these conclusions in both the regions of low and high invariant di-lepton mass-squared $q^2$. At low $q^2$ a calculation of the form factors based on rigorous factorisation methods was recently made available, allowing a detailed comparison with the only pre-existing, phenomenological parameterisation. This comparison allows to estimate the leading theory uncertainty on $A_{\Delta \Gamma_s}^{\mu\mu \gamma}$. We find this uncertainty to have little effect on $A_{\Delta \Gamma_s}^{\mu\mu \gamma}$'s ability to resolve among the new-physics scenarios identified from data. Although a similar comparison cannot at present be performed in the high-$q^2$ region, we reach a similar conclusion as concerns broad-charmonium pollution. So, in both regions $A_{\Delta \Gamma_s}^{\mu\mu \gamma}$ proves to be a valuable probe of short-distance CP-violating effects in the $b\to s$ Hamiltonian. We conclude by an outlook on the experimental prospects.