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arXiv · 2601.10597

Search for sub-GeV dark particles in $\eta\to\pi^0+\rm{invisible}$ decay

BESIII Collaboration·M. Ablikim·M. N. Achasov·P. Adlarson·X. C. Ai·R. Aliberti·A. Amoroso·Q. An·Y. Bai·O. Bakina·Y. Ban·H. -R. Bao·V. Batozskaya·K. Begzsuren·N. Berger·M. Berlowski·M. B. Bertani·D. Bettoni·F. Bianchi·E. Bianco·A. Bortone·I. Boyko·R. A. Briere·A. Brueggemann·H. Cai·M. H. Cai·X. Cai·A. Calcaterra·G. F. Cao·N. Cao·S. A. Cetin·X. Y. Chai·J. F. Chang·T. T. Chang·G. R. Che·Y. Z. Che·C. H. Chen·Chao Chen·G. Chen·H. S. Chen·H. Y. Chen·M. L. Chen·S. J. Chen·S. M. Chen·T. Chen·X. R. Chen·X. T. Chen·X. Y. Chen·Y. B. Chen·Y. Q. Chen·Z. K. Chen·J. C. Cheng·L. N. Cheng·S. K. Choi·X. Chu·G. Cibinetto·F. Cossio·J. Cottee-Meldrum·H. L. Dai·J. P. Dai·X. C. Dai·A. Dbeyssi·R. E. de Boer·D. Dedovich·C. Q. Deng·Z. Y. Deng·A. Denig·I. Denisenko·M. Destefanis·F. De Mori·X. X. Ding·Y. Ding·Y. X. Ding·J. Dong·L. Y. Dong·M. Y. Dong·X. Dong·M. C. Du·S. X. Du·X. L. Du·Y. Y. Duan·Z. H. Duan·P. Egorov·G. F. Fan·J. J. Fan·Y. H. Fan·J. Fang·S. S. Fang·W. X. Fang·Y. Q. Fang·L. Fava·F. Feldbauer·G. Felici·C. Q. Feng·J. H. Feng·L. Feng·Q. X. Feng·Y. T. Feng·M. Fritsch·C. D. Fu
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Abstract

Using (10087$\pm$44)$\times$10$^{6}$ $J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at the center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=3.097~\rm{GeV}$, we report the first search for $\eta\to\pi^0S\to\pi^0\chi\bar{\chi}$ with $S$ denotes an on-shell dark scalar boson and $\chi$ an invisible dark matter particle. No significant signals are observed with $S$ mass ranging from 0 to 400 $\rm{MeV}/c^2$. The upper limits on the branching fractions and the new physics coupling strengths between $S$ and quarks are set to be $(1.8\sim5.5)\times10^{-5}$ and $(1.3\sim3.2)\times10^{-5}$ at the 90% confidence level, respectively. The constraints on the dark-matter-nucleon scattering cross section is improved by approximately 5 orders of magnitude over previous dark-matter-nucleon scattering experiments, providing unique insights into sub-GeV dark matter.

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BESIII Collaboration, M. Ablikim, M. N. Achasov, P. Adlarson, X. C. Ai, R. Aliberti, A. Amoroso, Q. An, Y. Bai, O. Bakina, Y. Ban, H. -R. Bao, V. Batozskaya, K. Begzsuren, N. Berger, M. Berlowski, M. B. Bertani, D. Bettoni, F. Bianchi, E. Bianco, A. Bortone, I. Boyko, R. A. Briere, A. Brueggemann, H. Cai, M. H. Cai, X. Cai, A. Calcaterra, G. F. Cao, N. Cao, S. A. Cetin, X. Y. Chai, J. F. Chang, T. T. Chang, G. R. Che, Y. Z. Che, C. H. Chen, Chao Chen, G. Chen, H. S. Chen, H. Y. Chen, M. L. Chen, S. J. Chen, S. M. Chen, T. Chen, X. R. Chen, X. T. Chen, X. Y. Chen, Y. B. Chen, Y. Q. Chen, Z. K. Chen, J. C. Cheng, L. N. Cheng, S. K. Choi, X. Chu, G. Cibinetto, F. Cossio, J. Cottee-Meldrum, H. L. Dai, J. P. Dai, X. C. Dai, A. Dbeyssi, R. E. de Boer, D. Dedovich, C. Q. Deng, Z. Y. Deng, A. Denig, I. Denisenko, M. Destefanis, F. De Mori, X. X. Ding, Y. Ding, Y. X. Ding, J. Dong, L. Y. Dong, M. Y. Dong, X. Dong, M. C. Du, S. X. Du, X. L. Du, Y. Y. Duan, Z. H. Duan, P. Egorov, G. F. Fan, J. J. Fan, Y. H. Fan, J. Fang, S. S. Fang, W. X. Fang, Y. Q. Fang, L. Fava, F. Feldbauer, G. Felici, C. Q. Feng, J. H. Feng, L. Feng, Q. X. Feng, Y. T. Feng, M. Fritsch, C. D. Fu. 2026-01-15. Search for sub-GeV dark particles in $\eta\to\pi^0+\rm{invisible}$ decay. https://doi.org/10.1103/lbj8-qqm6

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