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arXiv · 2212.03634

Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating $\tau$ Decays to a Lepton and an Invisible Boson at Belle II

Belle II Collaboration·I. Adachi·K. Adamczyk·L. Aggarwal·H. Ahmed·H. Aihara·N. Akopov·A. Aloisio·N. Anh Ky·D. M. Asner·T. Aushev·V. Aushev·H. Bae·S. Bahinipati·P. Bambade·Sw. Banerjee·J. Baudot·M. Bauer·A. Baur·A. Beaubien·J. Becker·P. K. Behera·J. V. Bennett·E. Bernieri·F. U. Bernlochner·V. Bertacchi·M. Bertemes·E. Bertholet·M. Bessner·S. Bettarini·B. Bhuyan·F. Bianchi·T. Bilka·S. Bilokin·D. Biswas·D. Bodrov·A. Bolz·J. Borah·A. Bozek·M. Bračko·P. Branchini·T. E. Browder·A. Budano·S. Bussino·M. Campajola·L. Cao·G. Casarosa·C. Cecchi·M. -C. Chang·P. Chang·R. Cheaib·P. Cheema·V. Chekelian·Y. Q. Chen·B. G. Cheon·K. Chilikin·K. Chirapatpimol·H. -E. Cho·K. Cho·S. -J. Cho·S. -K. Choi·S. Choudhury·D. Cinabro·L. Corona·S. Cunliffe·S. Das·F. Dattola·E. De La Cruz-Burelo·S. A. De La Motte·G. De Nardo·M. De Nuccio·G. De Pietro·R. de Sangro·M. Destefanis·S. Dey·A. De Yta-Hernandez·R. Dhamija·A. Di Canto·F. Di Capua·J. Dingfelder·Z. Doležal·I. Domínguez Jiménez·T. V. Dong·M. Dorigo·K. Dort·D. Dossett·S. Dreyer·S. Dubey·G. Dujany·P. Ecker·M. Eliachevitch·D. Epifanov·P. Feichtinger·T. Ferber·D. Ferlewicz·T. Fillinger·C. Finck·G. Finocchiaro·K. Flood·A. Fodor
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Abstract

We search for lepton-flavor-violating $\tau^-\to e^-\alpha$ and $\tau^-\to\mu^-\alpha$ decays, where $\alpha$ is an invisible spin-0 boson. The search uses electron-positron collisions at $10.58$ GeV center-of-mass energy with an integrated luminosity of $62.8$ fb$^{-1}$, produced by the SuperKEKB collider and collected with the Belle II detector. We search for an excess in the lepton-energy spectrum of the known $\tau^-\to e^-\bar\nu_e \nu_\tau$ and $\tau^-\to \mu^-\bar\nu_\mu \nu_\tau$ decays. We report 95\% confidence-level upper limits on the branching-fraction ratio ${\mathcal B}(\tau^-\to e^- \alpha) / {\mathcal B}(\tau^- \to e^- \bar\nu_e \nu_\tau)$ in the range $(1.1-9.7) \times 10^{-3}$ and on ${\mathcal B}(\tau^-\to \mu^- \alpha) / {\mathcal B}(\tau^- \to \mu^- \bar\nu_\mu \nu_\tau)$ in the range $(0.7-12.2) \times 10^{-3}$ for $\alpha$ masses between 0 and 1.6 GeV/c$^2$. These results provide the most stringent bounds on invisible boson production from $\tau$ decays.

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Belle II Collaboration, I. Adachi, K. Adamczyk, L. Aggarwal, H. Ahmed, H. Aihara, N. Akopov, A. Aloisio, N. Anh Ky, D. M. Asner, T. Aushev, V. Aushev, H. Bae, S. Bahinipati, P. Bambade, Sw. Banerjee, J. Baudot, M. Bauer, A. Baur, A. Beaubien, J. Becker, P. K. Behera, J. V. Bennett, E. Bernieri, F. U. Bernlochner, V. Bertacchi, M. Bertemes, E. Bertholet, M. Bessner, S. Bettarini, B. Bhuyan, F. Bianchi, T. Bilka, S. Bilokin, D. Biswas, D. Bodrov, A. Bolz, J. Borah, A. Bozek, M. Bračko, P. Branchini, T. E. Browder, A. Budano, S. Bussino, M. Campajola, L. Cao, G. Casarosa, C. Cecchi, M. -C. Chang, P. Chang, R. Cheaib, P. Cheema, V. Chekelian, Y. Q. Chen, B. G. Cheon, K. Chilikin, K. Chirapatpimol, H. -E. Cho, K. Cho, S. -J. Cho, S. -K. Choi, S. Choudhury, D. Cinabro, L. Corona, S. Cunliffe, S. Das, F. Dattola, E. De La Cruz-Burelo, S. A. De La Motte, G. De Nardo, M. De Nuccio, G. De Pietro, R. de Sangro, M. Destefanis, S. Dey, A. De Yta-Hernandez, R. Dhamija, A. Di Canto, F. Di Capua, J. Dingfelder, Z. Doležal, I. Domínguez Jiménez, T. V. Dong, M. Dorigo, K. Dort, D. Dossett, S. Dreyer, S. Dubey, G. Dujany, P. Ecker, M. Eliachevitch, D. Epifanov, P. Feichtinger, T. Ferber, D. Ferlewicz, T. Fillinger, C. Finck, G. Finocchiaro, K. Flood, A. Fodor. 2022-12-07. Search for Lepton-Flavor-Violating $\tau$ Decays to a Lepton and an Invisible Boson at Belle II. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.130.181803

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