Search for Low-Mass Dark Matter at BABAR

This review briefly describes light dark matter searches performed by the BABAR experiment. Although dark matter candidates have traditionally been associated with heavy particles appearing in extensions of the Standard Model, a lighter component remains a well motivated alternative, and many scenarios of light dark matter have been recently proposed. Thanks to their large luminosities, B factories offer an ideal environment to probe these possibilities, complementing searches from direct detection and satellite experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Mod. Phys. Lett.

Search for Light New Physics at B Factories

Many extensions of the Standard Model include the possibility of light new particles, such as light Higgs bosons or dark matter candidates. These scenarios can be probed using the large datasets collected by B factories, complementing measurements performed at the LHC. This review summarizes recent searches for light New Physics conducted by the BABAR and Belle experiments.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to Advances in High Energy Physic

Measurements of the semileptonic decays B[overbar]→Dℓν[overbar] and B[overbar]→D^*ℓν[overbar] using a global fit to DXℓν[overbar] final states

Semileptonic B[overbar] decays to DXℓν[overbar](ℓ=e or μ) are selected by reconstructing D^0ℓ and D^+ℓ combinations from a sample of 230×10^6 Υ(4S)→BB[overbar] decays recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e^+e^- collider at SLAC. A global fit to these samples in a three-dimensional space of kinematic variables is used to determine the branching fractions B(B^-→D^0ℓν[overbar])=(2.34±0.03±0.13)% and B(B^-→D^(*0)ℓν[overbar])=(5.40±0.02±0.21)% where the errors are statistical and systematic, respectively. The fit also determines form-factor parameters in a parametrization based on heavy quark effective theory, resulting in ρ_D^2=1.20±0.04±0.07 for B[overbar]→Dℓν[overbar] and ρ_(D*)^2=1.22±0.02±0.07 for B[overbar]→D^*ℓν[overbar]. These values are used to obtain the product of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V_(cb)| times the form factor at the zero recoil point for both B[overbar]→Dℓν[overbar] decays, G(1)|V_(cb)|=(43.1±0.8±2.3)×10^(-3), and for B[overbar]→D^*ℓν[overbar] decays, F(1)|V_(cb)|=(35.9±0.2±1.2)×10^(-3)

Measurements of the τ mass and the mass difference of the τ^+ and τ^- at BABAR

We present the result from a precision measurement of the mass of the τ lepton, M_τ, based on 423  fb^(-1) of data recorded at the Υ(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector. Using a pseudomass endpoint method, we determine the mass to be 1776.68±0.12(stat)±0.41(syst)  MeV. We also measure the mass difference between the τ^+ and τ^-, and obtain (M_(τ+)-M_(τ-))/M_(AVG)^τ=(-3.4±1.3(stat)±0.3(syst))×10^(-4), where M^τ_(AVG) is the average value of M_(τ+) and M_(τ-)

Search for B^+→ℓ^+ν_ℓ recoiling against B^-→D^0ℓ^-ν̅ X

We present a search for the decay B^+→ℓ^+ν_ℓ(ℓ=τ, μ, or  e) in (458.9±5.1)×10^6 BB̅ pairs recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B-factory. We search for these B decays in a sample of B^+B^- events where one B-meson is reconstructed as B^-→D^0ℓ^-ν̅ X. Using the method of Feldman and Cousins, we obtain B(B^+→τ^+ν_τ)=(1.7±0.8±0.2)×10^(-4), which excludes zero at 2.3σ. We interpret the central value in the context of the standard model and find the B meson decay constant to be f_B^2=(62±31)×10^3   MeV^2. We find no evidence for B^+→e^+ν_e and B^+→μ^+ν_μ and set upper limits at the 90% C.L. B(B^+→e^+ν_e)<0.8×10^(-5) and B(B^+→μ^+ν_μ)<1.1×10^(-5)

Observation of the χ_(c2)(2P) meson in the reaction γγ→DD at BABAR

A search for the Z(3930) resonance in γγ production of the DD system has been performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 384  fb^(-1) recorded by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. The DD invariant mass distribution shows clear evidence of the Z(3930) state with a significance of 5.8σ. We determine mass and width values of (3926.7±2.7±1.1)  MeV/c^2 and (21.3±6.8±3.6)  MeV, respectively. A decay angular analysis provides evidence that the Z(3930) is a tensor state with positive parity and C parity (J^(PC)=2^(++)); therefore we identify the Z(3930) state as the χ_(c2)(2P) meson. The value of the partial width Γ_(γγ)×B(Z(3930)→DD) is found to be (0.24±0.05±0.04)  keV

Measurement of the B → D̅ ^((*))D^((*))K branching fractions

We present a measurement of the branching fractions of the 22 decay channels of the B^0 and B+ mesons to D̅ ^((*))D^((*))K, where the D^((*)) and D̅ ^((*)) mesons are fully reconstructed. Summing the 10 neutral modes and the 12 charged modes, the branching fractions are found to be B(B^0→D̅6((*))D^((*))K)=(3.68 ± 0.10 ± 0.24)% and B(B^+→D̅ ^((*))D^((*))K)=(4.05 ± 0.11 ± 0.28)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are based on 429  fb^(-1) of data containing 471 × 10^6BB̅ pairs collected at the Υ(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

The Mu2e crystal calorimeter

The Mu2e Experiment at Fermilab will search for coherent, neutrino-less conversion of negative muons into electrons in the field of an Aluminum nucleus, μ− + Al → e− +Al. Data collection start is planned for the end of 2021. The dynamics of such charged lepton flavour violating (CLFV) process is well modelled by a two-body decay, resulting in a mono-energetic electron with an energy slightly below the muon rest mass. If no events are observed in three years of running, Mu2e will set an upper limit on the ratio between the conversion and the capture rates R_μe = μ− + A(Z,N) → e− + A(Z,N)/μ− + A(Z,N) → ν_μ− + A(Z−1,N) of ≤ 6 × 10^(−17) (@ 90% C.L.). This will improve the current limit of four order of magnitudes with respect to the previous best experiment. Mu2e complements and extends the current search for μ → e γ decay at MEG as well as the direct searches for new physics at the LHC. The observation of such CLFV process could be clear evidence for New Physics beyond the Standard Model. Given its sensitivity, Mu2e will be able to probe New Physics at a scale inaccessible to direct searches at either present or planned high energy colliders. To search for the muon conversion process, a very intense pulsed beam of negative muons (~ 10^(10) μ/sec) is stopped on an Aluminum target inside a very long solenoid where the detector is also located. The Mu2e detector is composed of a straw tube tracker and a CsI crystals electromagnetic calorimeter. An external veto for cosmic rays surrounds the detector solenoid. In 2016, Mu2e has passed the final approval stage from DOE and has started its construction phase. An overview of the physics motivations for Mu2e, the current status of the experiment and the required performances and design details of the calorimeter are presented

B-meson decays to η′ρ, η′f_0, and η′K

We present measurements of B-meson decays to the final states η′ρ, η′f_0, and η′K*, where K* stands for a vector, scalar, or tensor strange meson. We observe a significant signal or evidence for η′ρ^+ and all the η′K* channels. We also measure, where applicable, the charge asymmetries, finding results consistent with no direct CP violation in all cases. The measurements are performed on a data sample consisting of 467 × 10^6 BB(overbar) pairs, collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e^+e^- collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Our results favor the theoretical predictions from perturbative QCD and QCD factorization and we observe an enhancement of the tensor K*_2(1430) with respect to the vector K*(892) component