What if the mass difference ΔMs is around 18 inverse picoseconds?

Present experiments in pursuit of the mass difference in the Bs0-Bs0 system have put a lower bound on this quantity of ΔMs>14.9 ps-1 (at 95% C.L.). The same experiments also yield a local minimum in the log-likelihood function around ΔMs=17.7 ps-1, which is 2.5σ away from being zero. Motivated by these observations, we investigate the consequences of a possible measurement of ΔMs=17.7±1.4 ps-1, in the context of both the standard model and supersymmetric models with minimal flavor violation. We perform a fit of the quark mixing parameters in these theories and estimate the expected ranges of the CP asymmetries in B decays, characterized by α, β and γ, the interior angles of the CKM-unitarity triangle. Based on this study, we argue that, if indeed ΔMs turns out to be in its currently-favored range, this would disfavor a large class of supersymmetric models. Indeed, of all the models examined here, the best fit to the data occurs for the standard model. (orig.)