Bs,d→ππ,πK,KK: status and prospects

Several years ago, it was pointed out that the U-spin-related decays B_d→π⁺π^-, B_s→K⁺K^- and B_d→π^∓K^±, B_s→π^±K^∓ offer interesting strategies for the extraction of the angle γ of the unitarity triangle. Using the first results from the Tevatron on the B_s decays and the B-factory data on B_u,d modes, we compare the determinations of γ from both strategies, study the sensitivity on U-spin-breaking effects, discuss the resolution of discrete ambiguities, predict observables that were not yet measured but will be accessible at LHCb, explore the extraction of the width difference ΔΓ_s from untagged B_s→K⁺K^- rates, and address the impact of new physics. The data for the B_d→π⁺π^-, B_s→K⁺K^- system favour the BaBar measurement of direct CP violation in B_d→π⁺π^-, which will be used in the numerical analysis and result in a fortunate situation, yielding γ=(66.6^+4.3+4.0 _-5.0-3.0)^°, where the latter errors correspond to a generous estimate of U-spin-breaking effects. On the other hand, the B_d→π^∓K^±, B_s→π^±K^∓ analysis leaves us with 26°≤γ≤70°, and points to a value of the B_s→π^±K^∓ branching ratio that is larger than the current Tevatron result. An important further step will be the measurement of mixing-induced CP violation in B_s→K⁺K^-, which will also allow us to extract the B⁰ _s–B̄⁰ _s mixing phase unambiguously with the help of B_s→J/ψφ at the LHC. Finally, the measurement of direct CP violation in B_s→K⁺K^- will make the full exploitation of the physics potential of the B_s,d→ππ,πK,KK modes possible.