19 research outputs found
Search for Axionlike and Scalar Particles with the NA64 Experiment
We carried out a model-independent search for light scalar (s) and
pseudoscalar axionlike (a) particles that couple to two photons by using the
high-energy CERN SPS H4 electron beam. The new particles, if they exist, could
be produced through the Primakoff effect in interactions of hard bremsstrahlung
photons generated by 100 GeV electrons in the NA64 active dump with virtual
photons provided by the nuclei of the dump. The a(s) would penetrate the
downstream HCAL module, serving as shielding, and would be observed either
through their decay in the rest of the HCAL detector or
as events with large missing energy if the a(s) decays downstream of the HCAL.
This method allows for the probing the a(s) parameter space, including those
from generic axion models, inaccessible to previous experiments. No evidence of
such processes has been found from the analysis of the data corresponding to
electrons on target allowing to set new limits on the
-coupling strength for a(s) masses below 55 MeV.Comment: This publication is dedicated to the memory of our colleague Danila
Tlisov. 7 pages, 5 figures, revised version accepted for publication in Phys.
Rev. Let
Search for Axionlike and Scalar Particles with the NA64 Experiment
We carried out a model-independent search for light scalar (s) and pseudoscalar axionlike (a) particles that couple to two photons by using the high-energy CERN SPS H4 electron beam. The new particles, if they exist, could be produced through the Primakoff effect in interactions of hard bremsstrahlung photons generated by 100 GeV electrons in the NA64 active dump with virtual photons provided by the nuclei of the dump. The a(s) would penetrate the downstream HCAL module, serving as a shield, and would be observed either through their a(s)→γγ decay in the rest of the HCAL detector, or as events with a large missing energy if the a(s) decays downstream of the HCAL. This method allows for the probing of the a(s) parameter space, including those from generic axion models, inaccessible to previous experiments. No evidence of such processes has been found from the analysis of the data corresponding to 2.84×10^{11} electrons on target, allowing us to set new limits on the a(s)γγ-coupling strength for a(s) masses below 55 MeV
Improved exclusion limit for light dark matter from e+e- annihilation in NA64
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 mA′≲250 MeV, by analyzing data from the interaction of 2.84×1011 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
Search for pseudoscalar bosons decaying into e+e- pairs in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS
We report the results of a search for a light pseudoscalar particle a that couples to electrons and decays to e+e- performed 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 Be8 and He4 nuclei at the invariant mass ≃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 8.4×1010 electrons on target (EOT) in 2017 and 2018. In order to increase sensitivity to small coupling parameter ϵ we also used the data collected in 2016-2018 in the "invisible mode"configuration of NA64 with a total statistics corresponding to 2.84×1011 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 γ). 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 ma-ϵ 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 ϵ in the range 2.1×10-4<ϵ<3.2×10-4 are excluded
Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN
We report the first results on a direct search for a new 16.7 MeV boson (
X
) which could explain the anomalous excess of
e
+
e
−
pairs observed in the excited
8
Be
∗
nucleus decays. Because of its coupling to electrons, the
X
could be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction
e
−
Z
→
e
−
Z
X
by a 100 GeV
e
−
beam incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron and observed through the subsequent decay into a
e
+
e
−
pair. With
5.4
×
10
10
electrons on target, no evidence for such decays was found, allowing us to set first limits on the
X
−
e
−
coupling in the range
1.3
×
10
−
4
≲
ε
e
≲
4.2
×
10
−
4
excluding part of the allowed parameter space. We also set new bounds on the mixing strength of photons with dark photons (
A
′
) from nonobservation of the decay
A
′
→
e
+
e
−
of the bremsstrahlung
A
′
with a mass
≲
23
 
 
Me
A facility to Search for Hidden Particles (SHiP) at the CERN SPS
A new general purpose fixed target facility is proposed at the CERN SPS accelerator which is aimed at exploring the domain of hidden particles and make measurements with tau neutrinos. Hidden particles are predicted by a large number of models beyond the Standard Model. The high intensity of the SPS 400~GeV beam allows probing a wide variety of models containing light long-lived exotic particles with masses below (10)~GeV/c, including very weakly interacting low-energy SUSY states. The experimental programme of the proposed facility is capable of being extended in the future, e.g. to include direct searches for Dark Matter and Lepton Flavour Violation
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Light baryon magnetic moments and N -\u3eDelta gamma transition in a Lorentz covariant chiral quark approach
We calculate magnetic moments of light baryons and N→Δγ transition characteristics using a manifestly Lorentz covariant chiral quark approach for the study of baryons as bound states of constituent quarks dressed by a cloud of pseudoscalar mesons
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Chiral corrections to the vector and axial couplings of quarks and baryons
We calculate chiral corrections to the semileptonic vector and axial quark coupling constants using a manifestly Lorentz covariant chiral quark approach up to order O(p4) in the two- and three-flavor pictures. These couplings are then used in the evaluation of the corresponding couplings which govern the semileptonic transitions between octet baryon states. In the calculation of baryon matrix elements we use a general ansatz for the spatial form of the quark wave function, without referring to a specific realization of hadronization and confinement of quarks in baryons. Matching the physical amplitudes calculated within our approach to the model-independent predictions of baryon chiral perturbation theory allows us to deduce a connection between our parameters and those of baryon chiral perturbation theory
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Semileptonic decays of the light J(P)=1/2(+) ground state baryon octet
We calculate the semileptonic baryon octet-octet transition form factors using a manifestly Lorentz covariant quark model approach based on the factorization of the contribution of valence quarks and chiral effects. We perform a detailed analysis of SU(3)-breaking corrections to the hyperon semileptonic decay form factors. We present complete results on decay rates and asymmetry parameters including lepton mass effects for the rates
Semileptonic decays of the light J(P)=1/2(+) ground state baryon octet
We calculate the semileptonic baryon octet-octet transition form factors using a manifestly Lorentz covariant quark model approach based on the factorization of the contribution of valence quarks and chiral effects. We perform a detailed analysis of SU(3)-breaking corrections to the hyperon semileptonic decay form factors. We present complete results on decay rates and asymmetry parameters including lepton mass effects for the rates