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Author (up) NA64 Collaboration (Andreev, Y.M. et al); Molina Bueno, L.
Title Search for pseudoscalar bosons decaying into e(+)e(-) pairs in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS Type Journal Article
Year 2021 Publication Physical Review D Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. D
Volume 104 Issue 11 Pages L111102 - 5pp
Keywords
Abstract We report the results of a search for a light pseudoscalar particle a that couples to electrons and decays to e(+) e(-) perfbnned using the high-energy CERN SPS H4 electron beam. If such light pseudoscalar exists, it could explain the ATOMKI anomaly (an excess of e(+) e(-) pairs in the nuclear transitions of Be-8 and 4 He nuclei at the invariant mass similar or equal to 17 MeV observed by the experiment at the 5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator at ATOMKI, Hungary). We used the NA64 data collected in the “visible mode” configuration with a total statistics corresponding to 8.4 x 10(10) electrons on target (EOT) in 2017 and 2018. In order to increase sensitivity to small coupling parameter epsilon we also used the data collected in 2016-2018 in the “invisible mode” configuration of NA64 with a total statistics corresponding to 2.84 x 10(11) EOT. The background and efficiency estimates for these two configurations were retained from our previous analyses searching for light vector bosons and axionlike particles (ALP) (the latter were assumed to couple predominantly to gamma). In this work we recalculate the signal yields, which are different due to different cross section and lifetime of a pseudoscalar particle a, and perform a new statistical analysis. As a result, the region of the two dimensional parameter space m(a) – epsilon in the mass range from 1 to 17.1 MeV is excluded. At the mass of the central value of the ATOMKI anomaly (the first result obtained on the beryllium nucleus, 16.7 MeV) the values of epsilon in the range 2.1 x 10(-4) < epsilon < 3.2 x 10(-4) are excluded.
Address [Hoesgen, M.; Ketzer, B.] Univ Bonn, Helmholtz Inst Strahlen & Kernphys, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Amer Physical Soc Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2470-0010 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000738796900005 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 5071
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