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1. Measurement of the very rare K+ → $$ {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ decay

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2021)093  

   Cortina Gil, E.; Kleimenova, A.; Minucci, E.; Padolski, S.; Petrov, P.; Shaikhiev, A.; Volpe, R.; Numao, T.; Petrov, Y.; Velghe, B.; et al (June 2021, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract The NA62 experiment reports the branching ratio measurement $$ \mathrm{BR}\left({K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu}\right)=\left({10.6}_{-3.4}^{+4.0}\left|{}_{\mathrm{stat}}\right.\pm {0.9}_{\mathrm{syst}}\right)\times {10}^{-11} $$ BR K + → π + ν ν ¯ = 10.6 − 3.4 + 4.0 stat ± 0.9 syst × 10 − 11 at 68% CL, based on the observation of 20 signal candidates with an expected background of 7.0 events from the total data sample collected at the CERN SPS during 2016–2018. This provides evidence for the very rare K + → $$ {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ π + ν ν ¯ decay, observed with a significance of 3.4 σ . The experiment achieves a single event sensitivity of (0 . 839 ± 0 . 054) × 10 − 11 , corresponding to 10.0 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of (8 . 4 ± 1 . 0) × 10 − 11 . This measurement is also used to set limits on BR( K + → π + X ), where X is a scalar or pseudo-scalar particle. Details are given of the analysis of the 2018 data sample, which corresponds to about 80% of the total data sample. 

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2. Search for the doubly charmed baryon $$ {\varXi}_{cc}^{+} $$ in the $$ {\varXi}_c^{+}{\pi}^{-}{\pi}^{+} $$ final state

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP12(2021)107  

   Aaij, R.; Abdelmotteleb, A. S.; Abellán Beteta, C.; Ackernley, T.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Afsharnia, H.; Agapopoulou, C.; Aidala, C. A.; Aiola, S.; et al (December 2021, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract A search for the doubly charmed baryon $$ {\varXi}_{cc}^{+} $$ Ξ cc + is performed in the $$ {\varXi}_c^{+}{\pi}^{-}{\pi}^{+} $$ Ξ c + π − π + invariant-mass spectrum, where the $$ {\varXi}_c^{+} $$ Ξ c + baryon is reconstructed in the pK − π + final state. The study uses proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at a centre- of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb − 1 . No significant signal is observed in the invariant-mass range of 3.4–3.8 GeV/ c 2 . Upper limits are set on the ratio of branching fractions multiplied by the production cross-section with respect to the $$ {\varXi}_{cc}^{++} $$ Ξ cc + + → ( $$ {\varXi}_c^{+} $$ Ξ c + → pK − π + ) π + decay for different $$ {\varXi}_{cc}^{+} $$ Ξ cc + mass and lifetime hypotheses in the rapidity range from 2.0 to 4.5 and the transverse momentum range from 2.5 to 25 GeV/ c . The results from this search are combined with a previously published search for the $$ {\varXi}_{cc}^{+} $$ Ξ cc + → $$ {\varLambda}_c^{+} $$ Λ c + K − π + decay mode, yielding a maximum local significance of 4.0 standard deviations around the mass of 3620 MeV/ c 2 , including systematic uncertainties. Taking into account the look-elsewhere effect in the 3.5–3.7 GeV/ c 2 mass window, the combined global significance is 2.9 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. 

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3. Search for the doubly charmed baryon Ω+cc

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-021-1742-7  

   Aaij, R.; Abellán Beteta, C.; Ackernley, T.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Afsharnia, H.; Aidala, C. A.; Aiola, S.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Akar, S.; et al (October 2021, Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy)

   Abstract A search for the doubly charmed baryon Ω cc + with the decay mode Ω cc + → Ξ c + K − π + is performed using proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the LHCb experiment from 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb −1 . No significant signal is observed within the invariant mass range of 3.6 to 4.0GeV/ c 2 . Upper limits are set on the ratio R of the production cross-section times the total branching fraction of the Ω cc + → Ξ c + K − π + decay with respect to the $$\Xi _{cc}^{ + + } \to \Lambda _c^ + {K^ - }{\pi ^ + }{\pi ^ + }$$ Ξ c c + + → Λ c + K − π + π + decay. Upper limits at 95% credibility level for R in the range 0.005 to 0.11 are obtained for different hypotheses on the Ω cc + mass and lifetime in the rapidity range from 2.0 to 4.5 and transverse momentum range from 4 to 15 GeV/ c . 

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4. An investigation of the very rare $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ decay

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP11(2020)042  

   Cortina Gil, E.; Kleimenova, A.; Minucci, E.; Padolski, S.; Petrov, P.; Shaikhiev, A.; Volpe, R.; Numao, T.; Velghe, B.; Bryman, D.; et al (November 2020, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   A bstract The NA62 experiment reports an investigation of the $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ K + → π + ν ν ¯ mode from a sample of K + decays collected in 2017 at the CERN SPS. The experiment has achieved a single event sensitivity of (0 . 389 ± 0 . 024) × 10 − 10 , corresponding to 2.2 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of (8 . 4 ± 1 . 0) × 10 − 11 . Two signal candidates are observed with an expected background of 1.5 events. Combined with the result of a similar analysis conducted by NA62 on a smaller data set recorded in 2016, the collaboration now reports an upper limit of 1 . 78 × 10 − 10 for the $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ K + → π + ν ν ¯ branching ratio at 90% CL. This, together with the corresponding 68% CL measurement of ( $$ {0.48}_{-0.48}^{+0.72} $$ 0.48 − 0.48 + 0.72 ) × 10 − 10 , are currently the most precise results worldwide, and are able to constrain some New Physics models that predict large enhancements still allowed by previous measurements. 

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5. Search for π0 decays to invisible particles

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2021)201  

   Cortina Gil, E.; Kleimenova, A.; Minucci, E.; Padolski, S.; Petrov, P.; Shaikhiev, A.; Volpe, R.; Numao, T.; Velghe, B.; Bryman, D.; et al (February 2021, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   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. 

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