Status of the W boson mass and the future of the electroweak fit in the next decades

Abstract

A precise determination of the W boson mass is an essential test for the Standard Model of particle physics: the comparison of experimental value and theoretical prediction allows to probe the internal consistency of the electroweak sector and could possibly highlight signals of New Physics. We provide a concise and up-to-date summary of past and recent measurements at lepton and hadron colliders, a discussion of the known perturbative and non-perturbative theoretical ingredients used to provide predictions for the relevant observables, and an overview of future prospects to reduce systematic uncertainties and to compare different measurements in a consistent way. We conclude with a brief discussion on the relevance of the global electroweak fit at present and future colliders.

Comments: 25 pages, 6 figures, written for Annual Review of Particle Physics