Charged-Lepton-Flavour Violation in Kaon Decays in Supersymmetric Theories

Abstract

We discuss rare kaon decays that violate charged-lepton flavour conservation in supersymmetric theories with and without R parity, in view of possible experiments using an intense proton source as envisaged for a neutrino factory. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, such decays are generated by box diagrams involving charginos and neutralinos, but the limits from μ-> e γ, μ-e conversion and Δm_K constrain the branching ratios to challengingly small values. However, this is no longer the case in R-violating theories, where such decays may occur at tree level at rates close to the present experimental limits. Within this framework, we obtain bounds on products of LL\bar{E} and LQ\bar{D} operators from the experimental upper limits on K^0 -> μ^\pm e^\mp and K^{\pm,0} -> π^{\pm,0} μ^\pm e^\mp decays. We also note the possibility of like-sign lepton decays K^\pm -> π^\mp \ell^\pm \ell^\pm in the presence of non-zero \tilde{b}_L-\tilde{b}_R mixing. We conclude that rare kaon decays violating charged-lepton flavour conservation could be an interesting signature of R violation.