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arXiv · 2607.07800

Search for axion-like particles decaying to two photons at Belle II

Belle II Collaboration·M. Abumusabh·I. Adachi·A. Aggarwal·H. Ahmed·Y. Ahn·H. Aihara·M. Akdag·N. Akopov·S. Alghamdi·M. Alhakami·A. Aloisio·N. Althubiti·K. Amos·M. Angelsmark·N. Anh Ky·C. Antonioli·K. Arai·D. M. Asner·H. Atmacan·T. Aushev·V. Aushev·R. Ayad·V. Babu·H. Bae·N. K. Baghel·S. Bahinipati·P. Bambade·Sw. Banerjee·S. Bansal·M. Barrett·M. Bartl·J. Baudot·A. Baur·A. Beaubien·F. Becherer·J. Becker·G. F. Benfratello·J. V. Bennett·F. U. Bernlochner·V. Bertacchi·M. Bertemes·E. Bertholet·M. Bessner·S. Bettarini·V. Bhardwaj·B. Bhuyan·F. Bianchi·T. Bilka·A. Biswas·D. Biswas·A. Bobrov·D. Bodrov·A. Bondar·G. Bonvicini·J. Borah·A. Boschetti·A. Bozek·M. Bračko·P. Branchini·T. E. Browder·A. Budano·S. Bussino·F. Callet·Q. Campagna·M. Campajola·L. Cao·M. Carminati·G. Casarosa·C. Cecchi·M. -C. Chang·P. Cheema·L. Chen·B. G. Cheon·C. Cheshta·H. Chetri·K. Chilikin·K. Chirapatpimol·H. -E. Cho·K. Cho·S. -J. Cho·S. -K. Choi·S. Choudhury·S. Chutia·J. Cochran·J. A. Colorado-Caicedo·I. Consigny·L. Corona·D. Crook·S. Cuccuini·J. X. Cui·E. De La Cruz-Burelo·S. A. De La Motte·G. De Nardo·G. De Pietro·R. de Sangro·M. Destefanis·S. Dey·R. Dhayal·A. Di Canto
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Abstract

Axion-like particles (ALPs) are predicted in many extensions of the Standard Model and provide a well-motivated portal between visible and hidden sectors through their coupling to photons. We search for ALPs produced in the process $e^{+}e^{-}\to\gamma a$, $a\to\gamma\gamma$, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $408~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ recorded by the Belle~II detector at the SuperKEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider. Events containing three photons are used to reconstruct the ALP as a narrow peak in the di-photon invariant mass spectrum over the range $0.17 < m_{a} < 9.80~\mathrm{GeV}/c^{2}$. No significant excess above background is observed. We set 95\% confidence level upper limits on the production cross section and on the ALP-photon coupling $g_{a\gamma\gamma}$, reaching sensitivities at the level of $10^{-4}~\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$. The limits are the most restrictive to date over nearly the entire mass range $0.17 < m_{a} < 5.00~\mathrm{GeV}/c^{2}$, and improve upon previous results by up to a factor 9.

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Belle II Collaboration, M. Abumusabh, I. Adachi, A. Aggarwal, H. Ahmed, Y. Ahn, H. Aihara, M. Akdag, N. Akopov, S. Alghamdi, M. Alhakami, A. Aloisio, N. Althubiti, K. Amos, M. Angelsmark, N. Anh Ky, C. Antonioli, K. Arai, D. M. Asner, H. Atmacan, T. Aushev, V. Aushev, R. Ayad, V. Babu, H. Bae, N. K. Baghel, S. Bahinipati, P. Bambade, Sw. Banerjee, S. Bansal, M. Barrett, M. Bartl, J. Baudot, A. Baur, A. Beaubien, F. Becherer, J. Becker, G. F. Benfratello, J. V. Bennett, F. U. Bernlochner, V. Bertacchi, M. Bertemes, E. Bertholet, M. Bessner, S. Bettarini, V. Bhardwaj, B. Bhuyan, F. Bianchi, T. Bilka, A. Biswas, D. Biswas, A. Bobrov, D. Bodrov, A. Bondar, G. Bonvicini, J. Borah, A. Boschetti, A. Bozek, M. Bračko, P. Branchini, T. E. Browder, A. Budano, S. Bussino, F. Callet, Q. Campagna, M. Campajola, L. Cao, M. Carminati, G. Casarosa, C. Cecchi, M. -C. Chang, P. Cheema, L. Chen, B. G. Cheon, C. Cheshta, H. Chetri, K. Chilikin, K. Chirapatpimol, H. -E. Cho, K. Cho, S. -J. Cho, S. -K. Choi, S. Choudhury, S. Chutia, J. Cochran, J. A. Colorado-Caicedo, I. Consigny, L. Corona, D. Crook, S. Cuccuini, J. X. Cui, E. De La Cruz-Burelo, S. A. De La Motte, G. De Nardo, G. De Pietro, R. de Sangro, M. Destefanis, S. Dey, R. Dhayal, A. Di Canto. 2026-07-08. Search for axion-like particles decaying to two photons at Belle II. https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.07800

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