arXiv subjects

M. Hosgen

Publications and source records attributed to M. Hosgen.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

50 GeV $\pi^-$ in, nothing out: a sensitive probe of invisible $\eta$ and $\eta'$ decays with NA64h

We present the first results from a proof-of-concept search for dark sectors via invisible decays of pseudoscalar $\eta$ and $\eta'$ mesons in the NA64h experiment at the CERN SPS. Our novel technique uses the charge-exchange reaction of 50 GeV $\pi^-$ on nuclei of an active target as the source of neutral mesons. The $\eta, \eta' \to invisible$ events would exhibit themselves via a striking signature - the complete disappearance of the incoming beam energy in the detector. No evidence for such events has been found with $2.9\times10^{9}$ pions on target accumulated during one day of data taking. This allows us to set a stringent limit on the branching ratio ${\rm Br}(\eta' \to invisible) < 2.1 \times 10^{-4}$ improving the current bound by a factor of $\simeq3$. We also set a limit on ${\rm Br}(\eta \to invisible) < 1.1 \times 10^{-4}$ comparable with the existing one. These results demonstrate the great potential of our approach and provide clear guidance on how to enhance and extend the sensitivity for dark sector physics from future searches for invisible neutral meson decays.

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arXiv2023

Probing Light Dark Matter with positron beams at NA64

We present the results of a missing-energy search for Light Dark Matter which has a new interaction with ordinary matter transmitted by a vector boson, called dark photon $A^\prime$. For the first time, this search is performed with a positron beam by using the significantly enhanced production of $A^\prime$ in the resonant annihilation of positrons with atomic electrons of the target nuclei, followed by the invisible decay of $A^\prime$ into dark matter. No events were found in the signal region with $(10.1 \pm 0.1)~\times~10^{9}$ positrons on target with 100 GeV energy. This allowed us to set new exclusion limits that, relative to the collected statistics, prove the power of this experimental technique. This measurement is a crucial first step toward a future exploration program with positron beams, whose estimated sensitivity is here presented.

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arXiv2022

Search for a New B-L Z' Gauge Boson with the NA64 Experiment at CERN

A search for a new $Z'$ gauge boson associated with (un)broken B-L symmetry in the keV-GeV mass range is carried out for the first time using the missing-energy technique in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS. From the analysis of the data with 3.22e11 electrons on target collected during 2016-2021 runs no signal events were found. This allows to derive new constraints on the $Z'-e$ coupling strength, which for the mass range $0.3 < m_{Z'} < 100$ MeV are more stringent compared to those obtained from the neutrino-electron scattering data.

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arXiv2021

Constraints on New Physics in the Electron g-2 from a Search for Invisible Decays of a Scalar, Pseudoscalar, Vector, and Axial Vector

We performed a search for a new generic $X$ boson, which could be a scalar ($S$), pseudoscalar ($P$), vector ($V$) or an axial vector ($A$) particle produced in the 100 GeV electron scattering off nuclei, $e^- Z \to e^- Z X$, followed by its invisible decay in the NA64 experiment at CERN. No evidence for such process was found in the full NA64 data set of $2.84\times 10^{11}$ electrons on target. We place new bounds on the $S, P, V, A$ coupling strengths to electrons, and set constraints on their contributions to the electron anomalous magnetic moment $a_e$, $|Δa_{X}| \lesssim 10^{-15} - 10^{-13}$ for the $X$ mass region $m_X\lesssim 1$ GeV. These results are an order of magnitude more sensitive compared to the current accuracy on $a_e$ from the electron $g-2$ experiments and recent high-precision determination of the fine structure constant.

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arXiv2020

Hunting down the X17 boson at the CERN SPS

Recently, the ATOMKI experiment has reported new evidence for the excess of $e^+ e^-$ events with a mass $\sim$17 MeV in the nuclear transitions of $^4$He, that they previously observed in measurements with $^8$Be. These observations could be explained by the existence of a new vector $X17$ boson. So far, the search for the decay $X17 \rightarrow e^+ e^-$ with the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS gave negative results. Here, we present a new technique that could be implemented in NA64 aiming to improve the sensitivity and to cover the remaining $X17$ parameter space. If a signal-like event is detected, an unambiguous observation is achieved by reconstructing the invariant mass of the $X17$ decay with the proposed method. To reach this goal an optimization of the $X17$ production target, as well as an efficient and accurate reconstruction of two close decay tracks, is required. A dedicated analysis of the available experimental data making use of the trackers information is presented. This method provides independent confirmation of the NA64 published results [Phys. Rev. D101, 071101 (2020)], validating the tracking procedure. The detailed Monte Carlo study of the proposed setup and the background estimate shows that the goal of the proposed search is feasible.

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arXiv2020

Search for Axionlike and Scalar Particles with the NA64 Experiment

We carried out a model-independent search for light scalar (s) and pseudoscalar axionlike (a) particles that couple to two photons by using the high-energy CERN SPS H4 electron beam. The new particles, if they exist, could be produced through the Primakoff effect in interactions of hard bremsstrahlung photons generated by 100 GeV electrons in the NA64 active dump with virtual photons provided by the nuclei of the dump. The a(s) would penetrate the downstream HCAL module, serving as shielding, and would be observed either through their $a(s)\toγγ$ decay in the rest of the HCAL detector or as events with large missing energy if the a(s) decays downstream of the HCAL. This method allows for the probing the a(s) parameter space, including those from generic axion models, inaccessible to previous experiments. No evidence of such processes has been found from the analysis of the data corresponding to $2.84\times10^{11}$ electrons on target allowing to set new limits on the $a(s)γγ$-coupling strength for a(s) masses below 55 MeV.

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arXiv2019

Dark matter search in missing energy events with NA64

A search for sub-GeV dark matter production mediated by a new vector boson $A'$, called dark photon, is performed by the NA64 experiment in missing energy events from 100 GeV electron interactions in an active beam dump at the CERN SPS. From the analysis of the data collected in the years 2016, 2017, and 2018 with $2.84\times10^{11}$ electrons on target no evidence of such a process has been found. The most stringent constraints on the $A'$ mixing strength with photons and the parameter space for the scalar and fermionic dark matter in the mass range $\lesssim 0.2$ GeV are derived, thus demonstrating the power of the active beam dump approach for the dark matter search.

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arXiv2018

Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN

We report the first results on a direct search for a new 16.7 MeV boson (X) which could explain the anomalous excess of e+e- pairs observed in the excited Be-8 nucleus decays. Due to its coupling to electrons, the X could be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction e- Z -> e- Z X by a 100 GeV e- beam incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS and observed through the subsequent decay into an e+e- pair. With 5.4\times 10^{10} electrons on target, no evidence for such decays was found, allowing to set first limits on the X-e^- coupling in the range 1.3\times 10^{-4} < ε_e < 4.2\times 10^{-4} excluding part of the allowed parameter space. We also set new bounds on the mixing strength of photons with dark photons (A') from non-observation of the decay A'->e+e- of the bremsstrahlung A' with a mass <~ 23 MeV.

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arXiv2018

Search for vector mediator of Dark Matter production in invisible decay mode

A search is performed for a new sub-GeV vector boson ($A'$) mediated production of Dark Matter ($χ$) in the fixed-target experiment, NA64, at the CERN SPS. The $A'$, called dark photon, could be generated in the reaction $ e^- Z \to e^- Z A'$ of 100 GeV electrons dumped against an active target which is followed by the prompt invisible decay $A' \to χ\overlineχ$. The experimental signature of this process would be an event with an isolated electron and large missing energy in the detector. From the analysis of the data sample collected in 2016 corresponding to $4.3\times10^{10}$ electrons on target no evidence of such a process has been found. New stringent constraints on the $A'$ mixing strength with photons, $10^{-5}\lesssim ε\lesssim 10^{-2}$, for the $A'$ mass range $m_{A'} \lesssim 1$ GeV are derived. For models considering scalar and fermionic thermal Dark Matter interacting with the visible sector through the vector portal the 90% C.L. limits $10^{-11}\lesssim y \lesssim 10^{-6}$ on the dark-matter parameter $y = ε^2 α_D (\frac{m_χ}{m_{A'}})^4 $ are obtained for the dark coupling constant $α_D = 0.5$ and dark-matter masses $0.001 \lesssim m_χ\lesssim 0.5 $ GeV. The lower limits $α_D \gtrsim 10^{-3} $ for pseudo-Dirac Dark Matter in the mass region $m_χ\lesssim 0.05 $ GeV are more stringent than the corresponding bounds from beam dump experiments. The results are obtained by using tree level, exact calculations of the $A'$ production cross-sections, which turn out to be significantly smaller compared to the one obtained in the Weizsäcker-Williams approximation for the mass region $m_{A'} \gtrsim 0.1$ GeV.

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arXiv2016

Search for invisible decays of sub-GeV dark photons in missing-energy events at the CERN SPS

We report on a direct search for sub-GeV dark photons (A') which might be produced in the reaction e^- Z \to e^- Z A' via kinetic mixing with photons by 100 GeV electrons incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS. The A's would decay invisibly into dark matter particles resulting in events with large missing energy. No evidence for such decays was found with 2.75\cdot 10^{9} electrons on target. We set new limits on the γ-A' mixing strength and exclude the invisible A' with a mass < 100 MeV as an explanation of the muon g_μ-2 anomaly.

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