The UTfit collaboration report on the status of the unitarity triangle beyond the Standard Model I. Model-independent analysis and minimal flavour violation

Starting from a (new physics independent) tree level determination of (p) over bar and (eta) over bar, we perform the Unitarity Triangle analysis in general extensions of the Standard Model with arbitrary new physics contributions to loop-mediated processes. Using a simple parameterization, we determine the allowed ranges of non-standard contributions to vertical bar Delta F vertical bar = 2 processes. Remarkably, the recent measurements from B factories allow us to determine with good precision the shape of the Unitarity Triangle even in the presence of new physics, and to derive stringent constraints on nonstandard contributions to vertical bar Delta F vertical bar = 2 processes. Since the present experimental constraints favour models with Minimal Flavour Violation, we present the determination of the Universal Unitarity Triangle that can be defined in this class of extensions of the Standard Model. Finally, we perform a combined fit of the Unitarity Triangle and of new physics contributions in Minimal Flavour Violation, reaching a sensitivity to a new physics scale of about 5TeV. We also extrapolate all these analyses into a "year 2010" scenario for experimental and theoretical inputs in the flavour sector. All the results presented in this paper are also available at the URL http://www.utfit.org, where they are continuously updated.