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arXiv · 2306.12294

Search for a $\tau^+\tau^-$ resonance in $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow \mu^{+}\mu^{-} \tau^+\tau^-$ events with the Belle II experiment

Abstract

We report the first search for a non-standard-model resonance decaying into $\tau$ pairs in $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow \mu^{+}\mu^{-} \tau^+\tau^-$ events in the 3.6-10 GeV/$c^{2}$ mass range. We use a 62.8 fb$^{-1}$ sample of $e^+e^-$ collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. The analysis probes three different models predicting a spin-1 particle coupling only to the heavier lepton families, a Higgs-like spin-0 particle that couples preferentially to charged leptons (leptophilic scalar), and an axion-like particle, respectively. We observe no evidence for a signal and set exclusion limits at 90% confidence level on the product of cross section and branching fraction into $\tau$ pairs, ranging from 0.7 fb to 24 fb, and on the couplings of these processes. We obtain world-leading constraints on the couplings for the leptophilic scalar model for masses above 6.5 GeV/$c^2$ and for the axion-like particle model over the entire mass range.

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BibTeXRIS

Belle II Collaboration, I. Adachi, K. Adamczyk, L. Aggarwal, H. Ahmed, H. Aihara, N. Akopov, A. Aloisio, N. Anh Ky, D. M. Asner, H. Atmacan, T. Aushev, V. Aushev, M. Aversano, V. Babu, H. Bae, S. Bahinipati, P. Bambade, Sw. Banerjee, S. Bansal, M. Barrett, 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, V. Bhardwaj, B. Bhuyan, F. Bianchi, T. Bilka, S. Bilokin, D. Biswas, A. Bobrov, 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, J. Cerasoli, 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, J. Cochran, L. Corona, L. M. Cremaldi, S. Cunliffe, T. Czank, S. Das, F. Dattola, E. De La Cruz-Burelo, S. A. De La Motte, G. de Marino, 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. 2023-06-21. Search for a $\tau^+\tau^-$ resonance in $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow \mu^{+}\mu^{-} \tau^+\tau^-$ events with the Belle II experiment. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.131.121802

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