Abstract: The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider aims to collect an unprecedented data set of 50 ab-1 to study CP-violation in the B-meson system and to search for Physics beyond the Standard Model. SuperKEKB is already the world's highest-luminosity collider. In order to collect the planned data set within approximately one decade, the target is to reach a peak luminosity of 6 x 1035 cm-2 s-1by further increasing the beam currents and reducing the beam size at the interaction point by squeezing the betatron function down to betay* = 0.3 mm. To ensure detector longevity and maintain good reconstruction performance, beam backgrounds must remain well controlled. We report on current background rates in Belle II and compare these against simulation. We find that a number of recent refinements have significantly improved the background simulation accuracy. Finally, we estimate the safety margins going forward. We predict that backgrounds should remain high but acceptable until a luminosity of at least 2.8 x 1035 cm-2 s-1is reached for betay* = 0.6 mm. At this point, the most vulnerable Belle II detectors, the Time-of-Propagation (TOP) particle identification system and the Central Drift Chamber (CDC), have predicted background hit rates from single-beam and luminosity backgrounds that add up to approximately half of the maximum acceptable rates.

Abstract: We report on new flavor tagging algorithms developed to determine the quark-flavor content of bottom (B) mesons at Belle II. The algorithms provide essential inputs for measurements of quark-flavor mixing and charge-parity violation. We validate and evaluate the performance of the algorithms using hadronic B decays with flavor-specific final states reconstructed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 62.8 fb(-1), collected at the gamma(4S) resonance with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We measure the total effective tagging efficiency to be epsilon(eff) = (30.0 +/- 1.2(stat) +/- 0.4(syst))% for a category-based algorithm and epsilon(eff) = (28.8 +/- 1.2(stat) +/- 0.4(syst))% for a deep-learning-based algorithm.

Abstract: A search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decay B+ -> K+nu(nu) over bar is performed at the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 63 fb(-1) collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance and a sample of 9 fb(-1) collected at an energy 60 MeV below the resonance. Because the measurable decay signature involves only a single charged kaon, a novel measurement approach is used that exploits not only the properties of the B+ -> K+nu(nu) over bar decay, but also the inclusive properties of the other B meson in the Upsilon(4S) -> B (B) over bar event, to suppress the background from other B meson decays and light-quark pair production. This inclusive tagging approach offers a higher signal efficiency compared to previous searches. No significant signal is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of B+ -> K+nu(nu) over bar of 4.1 x 10(-5) is set at the 90% confidence level.

Abstract: We present a search for the direct production of a light pseudoscalar a decaying into two photons with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We search for the process e(+)e(-) -> gamma a, a -> gamma gamma in the mass range 0.2 < m(a) < 9.7 GeV/c(2) using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of (445 +/- 3) pb(-1). Light pseudoscalars interacting predominantly with standard model gauge bosons (so-called axionlike particles or ALPs) are frequently postulated in extensions of the standard model. We find no evidence for ALPs and set 95% confidence level upper limits on the coupling strength g(a gamma gamma) of ALPs to photons at the level of 10(-3) GeV-1. The limits are the most restrictive to date for 0.2 < m(a) < 1 GeV/c(2).

Abstract: From April to July 2018, a data sample at the peak energy of the resonance was collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider. This is the first data sample of the Belle II experiment. Using Bhabha and digamma events, we measure the integrated luminosity of the data sample to be (, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This work provides a basis for future luminosity measurements at Belle II.