NA64 Collaboration(Andreev, Y. M. et al), & Molina Bueno, L. (2021). Improved exclusion limit for light dark matter from e(+) e(-) annihilation in NA64. Phys. Rev. D, 104(9), L091701–7pp.
Abstract: The current most stringent constraints for the existence of sub-GeV dark matter coupling to Standard Model via a massive vector boson A' were set by the NA64 experiment for the mass region m(A') less than or similar to 250 MeV, by analyzing data from the interaction of 2.84 x 10(11) 100-GeV electrons with an active thick target and searching for missing-energy events. In this work, by including A' production via secondary positron annihilation with atomic electrons, we extend these limits in the 200-300 MeV region by almost an order of magnitude, touching for the first time the dark matter relic density constrained parameter combinations. Our new results demonstrate the power of the resonant annihilation process in missing energy dark-matter searches, paving the road to future dedicated e(+) beam efforts.
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NA64 Collaboration(Andreev, Y. M. et al), & Molina Bueno, L. (2022). Search for a light Z' in the L-mu – L-tau scenario with the NA64-e experiment at CERN. Phys. Rev. D, 106(3), 032015–12pp.
Abstract: The extension of Standard Model made by inclusion of additional U(1) gauge L-mu – L-tau symmetry can explain the difference between the measured and the predicted value of the muon magnetic moment and solve the tension in B meson decays. This model predicts the existence of a new, light Z' vector boson, predominantly coupled to second and third generation leptons, whose interaction with electrons is due to a loop mechanism involving muons and taus. In this work, we present a rigorous evaluation of the upper limits in the Z' parameter space, obtained from the analysis of the data collected by the NA64-e experiment at CERN SPS, that performed a search for light dark matter with 2.84 x 10(11) electrons impinging with 100 GeV on an active thick target. The resulting limits touch the muon g – 2 preferred band for values of the Z' mass of order of 1 MeV, while the sensitivity projections for the future high-statistics NA64-e runs demonstrate the power of the electrons/positron beam approach in this theoretical scenario.
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NA64 Collaboration(Andreev, Y. M. et al), & Molina Bueno, L. (2022). Search for a New B-L Z' Gauge Boson with the NA64 Experiment at CERN. Phys. Rev. Lett., 129, 161801–6pp.
Abstract: A search for a new Z′ gauge boson associated with (un)broken B−L symmetry in the keV–GeV mass range is carried out for the first time using the missing-energy technique in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS. From the analysis of the data with 3.22×10^11 electrons on target collected during 2016–2021 runs, no signal events were found. This allows us to derive new constraints on the Z′−e coupling strength, which, for the mass range 0.3≲ mZ′≲ 100 MeV, are more stringent compared to those obtained from the neutrino-electron scattering data.
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NA62 Collaboration(Cortina Gil, E. et al), & Husek, T. (2019). First search for K+ -> pi(+) nu(nu)over-bar using the decay-in-flight technique. Phys. Lett. B, 791, 156–166.
Abstract: The NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS reports the first search for K+ -> pi(+) nu(nu) over bar using the decay-in-flight technique, based on a sample of 1.21 x10(11) K+ decays collected in 2016. The single event sensitivity is 3.15 x10(-10), corresponding to 0.267 Standard Model events. One signal candidate is observed while the expected background is 0.152 events. This leads to an upper limit of 14 x10(-10) on the K+ -> pi(+) nu(nu) over bar branching ratio at 95% CL.
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NA62 Collaboration(Cortina Gil, E. et al), & Husek, T. (2019). Search for production of an invisible dark photon in (0) decays. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 182–20pp.
Abstract: The results of a search for (0) decays to a photon and an invisible massive dark photon at the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS are reported. From a total of 4.12 x 10(8) tagged (0) mesons, no signal is observed. Assuming a kinetic-mixing interaction, limits are set on the dark photon coupling to the ordinary photon as a function of the dark photon mass, improving on previous searches in the mass range 60-110 MeV/c(2). The present results are interpreted in terms of an upper limit of the branching ratio of the electro-weak decay 0improving the current limit by more than three orders of magnitude.
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NA62 collaboration(Cortina Gil, E. et al), & Husek, T. (2019). Searches for lepton number violating K+ decays. Phys. Lett. B, 797, 134794–9pp.
Abstract: The NA62 experiment at CERN reports a search for the lepton number violating decays K+ -> pi(-)e(+)e(+) and K+ -> pi(-)mu(+)mu(+) using a data sample collected in 2017. No signals are observed, and upper limits on the branching fractions of these decays of 2.2 x 10(-10) and 4.2 x 10(-11) are obtained, respectively, at 90% confidence level. These upper limits improve on previously reported measurements by factors of 3 and 2, respectively.
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NA62 Collaboration(Cortina Gil, E. et al), & Husek, T. (2020). Search for heavy neutral lepton production in K+ decays to positrons. Phys. Lett. B, 807, 135599–9pp.
Abstract: A search for heavy neutral lepton (N) production in K+ -> e(+)N decays using the data sample collected by the NA62 experiment at CERN in 2017-2018 is reported. Upper limits of the extended neutrino mixing matrix element vertical bar U-e4 vertical bar(2) are established at the level of 10(-9) over most of the accessible heavy neutral lepton mass range 144-462 MeV/c(2), with the assumption that the lifetime exceeds 50 ns. These limits improve significantly upon those of previous production and decay searches. The vertical bar U-e4 vertical bar(2) range favoured by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis is excluded up to a mass of about 340 MeV/c(2).
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NA62 Collaboration(Cortina Gil, E. et al), & Husek, T. (2020). An investigation of the very rare K+ -> pi+ nu nubar decay. J. High Energy Phys., 11(11), 042–57pp.
Abstract: The NA62 experiment reports an investigation of the K+-> pi+nu nu <overbar></mml:mover> 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) x 10(-10), corresponding to 2.2 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of (8.4 +/- 1.0) x 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 x 10(-10) for the K+-> pi+nu nu <overbar></mml:mover> branching ratio at 90% CL. This, together with the corresponding 68% CL measurement of (0.48<mml:mo>-0.48<mml:mo>+0.72) x 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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NA48/2 Collaboration(Batley, J. R. et al), & Fiorini, L. (2018). Measurement of the form factors of charged kaon semileptonic decays. J. High Energy Phys., 10(10), 150–23pp.
Abstract: A measurement of the form factors of charged kaon semileptonic decays is presented, based on 4.4 x 10(6)K(+/-) (0)e(e)(+/-) (Ke3 +/-) and 2.3 x 10(6)K(+/-) (0)+/- (K3 +/-) decays collected in 2004 by the NA48/2 experiment. The results are obtained with improved precision as compared to earlier measurements. The combination of measurements in the Ke3 +/- and K3 +/- modes is also presented.
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NA48/2 Collaboration(Batley, J. R. et al), & Fiorini, L. (2019). First observation and study of the K-+/- -> pi(+/-)pi(0)e(+)e(-) decay. Phys. Lett. B, 788, 552–561.
Abstract: The NA48/2 experiment at CERN reports the first observation of the K-+/- -> pi(+/-)pi(0)e(+)e(-) decay from an exposure of 1.7 x 10(11) charged kaon decays recorded in 2003-2004. A sample of 4919 candidates with 4.9% background contamination allows the determination of the branching ratio in the full kinematic region, BR(K-+/- -> pi(+/-)pi(0)e(+)e(-)) = (4.24 +/- 0.14) x 10(-6). The study of the kinematic space shows evidence for a structure dependent contribution in agreement with predictions based on chiral perturbation theory. Several P- and CP-violating asymmetries are also evaluated.
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