Journal article
Novel multilepton signatures of dark sectors in light meson decays
Physical review. D, Vol.105(1), 015017
01/20/2022
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.105.015017
Abstract
We point out kaon decays to multiple charged leptons as a novel probe of light dark particles X. Previously neglected channels, such as K+ -> pi(+) (XX -> 2(e(+)e(-))), K-L -> pi(0)(XX -> 2(e(+)e(-))), and K-S -> (XX -> 2(e(+)e(-))) may have very large rates, exceeding not only the Standard Model expectations but also possible backgrounds, such as Dalitz decays of neutral pions. We apply this idea to dark sector models where the production of dark Higgses or heavy neutral leptons leads to final states with several visible dark photons. We also investigate a recently proposed model of an MeV-scale QCD axion, where the rates for kaon decays to multiple axion states are large due to the nonlinear interactions of the axion with the light mesons. In addition, we point out new probes of this axion in pion decays, such as the single production of a in pi(+) -> nu((e(+))* -> e(+)a -> e(+)e(+)e(-)), double production in pion capture pi(-) + (p or D) -> aa + (n or an) -> 2(e(+)e(-)) + (n or nn), as well as pi(0) -> aaa -> 3(e(+)e(-)). The latter decay is fixed at B(pi(0) -> aaa) =1.0 x10(-3) for a 17 MeV axion.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Novel multilepton signatures of dark sectors in light meson decays
- Creators
- Matheus Hostert - University of MinnesotaMaxim Pospelov - University of Minnesota
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Physical review. D, Vol.105(1), 015017
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevD.105.015017
- ISSN
- 2470-0010
- eISSN
- 2470-0029
- Publisher
- Amer Physical Soc
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- desc0011842 / U.S. Department of Energy; United States Department of Energy (DOE) Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Government of Canada through the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science; Ministry of Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (RISTEK)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/20/2022
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984946625202771
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