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arXiv · 2609.02973

Branching fraction measurements of $\eta$ and $\eta^\prime(958)$ anomalous decays

LHCb collaboration·R. Aaij·A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb·C. Abellan Beteta·F. Abudinén·T. Ackernley·A. A. Adefisoye·B. Adeva·M. Adinolfi·P. Adlarson·C. Agapopoulou·C. A. Aidala·Z. Ajaltouni·S. Akar·K. Akiba·P. Albicocco·J. Albrecht·R. Aleksiejunas·F. Alessio·P. Alvarez Cartelle·R. Amalric·S. Amato·J. L. Amey·Y. Amhis·L. An·L. Anderlini·M. Andersson·P. Andreola·M. Andreotti·S. Andres Estrada·A. Anelli·D. Ao·C. Arata·F. Archilli·Z. Areg·M. Argenton·S. Arguedas Cuendis·L. Arnone·A. Artamonov·M. Artuso·E. Aslanides·R. Ataíde Da Silva·M. Atzeni·B. Audurier·J. A. Authier·D. Bacher·I. Bachiller Perea·S. Bachmann·M. Bachmayer·J. J. Back·P. Baladron Rodriguez·V. Balagura·A. Balboni·W. Baldini·Z. Baldwin·L. Balzani·H. Bao·J. Baptista de Souza Leite·C. Barbero Pretel·M. Barbetti·I. R. Barbosa·R. J. Barlow·M. Barnyakov·S. Barsuk·W. Barter·J. Bartz·S. Bashir·B. Batsukh·P. B. Battista·A. Bay·A. Beck·M. Becker·F. Bedeschi·I. B. Bediaga·N. A. Behling·S. Belin·A. Bellavista·K. Belous·I. Belov·I. Belyaev·G. Benane·G. Bencivenni·E. Ben-Haim·A. Berezhnoy·R. Bernet·S. Bernet Andres·A. Bertolin·F. Betti·J. Bex·O. Bezshyyko·S. Bhattacharya·J. Bhom·M. S. Bieker·N. V. Biesuz·A. Biolchini·M. Birch·F. C. R. Bishop·A. Bitadze·A. Bizzeti·T. Blake
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Abstract

Branching fractions of $\eta$ and $\eta'(958)$ anomalous decays are measured using $pp$ collision data at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13\,\text{TeV}$ collected by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4\,\text{fb}^{-1}$. The measured values and upper limits are \begin{align*} \cal{B}(\eta\to\mu^+\mu^-) &= (5.02\pm0.14\pm0.18\pm0.26)\times10^{-6} , \\ \cal{B}(\eta'(958)\to\mu^+\mu^-) &<1.9\times10^{-7}\textrm{ at 90% CL} , \\ \cal{B}(\eta\to\pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-) &<5.4\times10^{-7}\textrm{ at 90% CL}, \\ \cal{B}(\eta'(958)\to\pi^+\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-) &= (2.73\pm0.14\pm0.13\pm0.14)\times10^{-5} , \end{align*} where the uncertainties are, respectively, statistical, systematic, and due to the external branching fraction of the $\phi(1020)\to\mu^+\mu^-$ decay, which is used for normalization. This marks the first experimental search for the $\eta'(958)$ decay, and the most precise measurement of the branching fraction $\cal{B}(\eta\to\mu^+\mu^-)$ to date.

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LHCb collaboration, R. Aaij, A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb, C. Abellan Beteta, F. Abudinén, T. Ackernley, A. A. Adefisoye, B. Adeva, M. Adinolfi, P. Adlarson, C. Agapopoulou, C. A. Aidala, Z. Ajaltouni, S. Akar, K. Akiba, P. Albicocco, J. Albrecht, R. Aleksiejunas, F. Alessio, P. Alvarez Cartelle, R. Amalric, S. Amato, J. L. Amey, Y. Amhis, L. An, L. Anderlini, M. Andersson, P. Andreola, M. Andreotti, S. Andres Estrada, A. Anelli, D. Ao, C. Arata, F. Archilli, Z. Areg, M. Argenton, S. Arguedas Cuendis, L. Arnone, A. Artamonov, M. Artuso, E. Aslanides, R. Ataíde Da Silva, M. Atzeni, B. Audurier, J. A. Authier, D. Bacher, I. Bachiller Perea, S. Bachmann, M. Bachmayer, J. J. Back, P. Baladron Rodriguez, V. Balagura, A. Balboni, W. Baldini, Z. Baldwin, L. Balzani, H. Bao, J. Baptista de Souza Leite, C. Barbero Pretel, M. Barbetti, I. R. Barbosa, R. J. Barlow, M. Barnyakov, S. Barsuk, W. Barter, J. Bartz, S. Bashir, B. Batsukh, P. B. Battista, A. Bay, A. Beck, M. Becker, F. Bedeschi, I. B. Bediaga, N. A. Behling, S. Belin, A. Bellavista, K. Belous, I. Belov, I. Belyaev, G. Benane, G. Bencivenni, E. Ben-Haim, A. Berezhnoy, R. Bernet, S. Bernet Andres, A. Bertolin, F. Betti, J. Bex, O. Bezshyyko, S. Bhattacharya, J. Bhom, M. S. Bieker, N. V. Biesuz, A. Biolchini, M. Birch, F. C. R. Bishop, A. Bitadze, A. Bizzeti, T. Blake. 2026-09-02. Branching fraction measurements of $\eta$ and $\eta^\prime(958)$ anomalous decays. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02973

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