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Title: Search for π0 decays to invisible particles
A bstract The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS reports a study of a sample of 4 × 10 9 tagged π 0 mesons from K + → π + π 0 ( γ ), searching for the decay of the π 0 to invisible particles. No signal is observed in excess of the expected background fluctuations. An upper limit of 4 . 4 × 10 − 9 is set on the branching ratio at 90% confidence level, improving on previous results by a factor of 60. This result can also be interpreted as a model- independent upper limit on the branching ratio for the decay K + → π + X , where X is a particle escaping detection with mass in the range 0.110–0.155 GeV /c 2 and rest lifetime greater than 100 ps. Model-dependent upper limits are obtained assuming X to be an axion-like particle with dominant fermion couplings or a dark scalar mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1806430
NSF-PAR ID:
10272506
Author(s) / Creator(s):
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Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of High Energy Physics
Volume:
2021
Issue:
2
ISSN:
1029-8479
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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