arXiv subjects

Sergei N. Gninenko

Publications and source records attributed to Sergei N. Gninenko.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Charge-exchange reactions with pion and kaon beams in the NA64h experiment at CERN

We discuss a new approach to search for dark sector coupled to quarks in the invisible decays and oscillations of light neutral mesons produced in the charge-exchange (CEX) reactions with pion and kaon beams $π^-(K^-)+ (A, Z) \to π^0, η, η' (\bar K^0) + (A,Z-1)$ at nuclei target $(A,Z)$ in the NA64h experiment at CERN for $P_{\rm Lab}$ running in the interval from 5 to 50 GeV. For estimating of the projection sensitivity for the proposed searches the knowledge of the meson yield is crucial. This work is dedicated to the accurate evaluation of CEX cross sections for the wide range of energies and target nuclei which could be also useful for other experiments.

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arXiv2026

Missing energy signatures of inelastic magnetic dipole DM at NA64e

Some extensions of the Standard Model consider inelastic dark matter (iDM) as an attractive candidate for sub-GeV DM of thermal origin that could be detected at modern accelerators. In the present paper, we calculate the production rate of iDM pairs $χ_{1} \barχ_0$ interacting with the ordinary photon via dipole magnetic moment in the reaction of high-energy electron scattering on nuclei, $e^- N \to e^- N χ_{1} \barχ_0$, in the NA64e experiment at the CERN SPS. We derive the projected sensitivity of NA64e to such particles assuming of $\simeq10^{13}$ 100 GeV electrons on target. We also show, that incorporating heavy vector meson decays, $γ^* N \to N V (\to χ_1 \barχ_0)$, alongside bremsstrahlung-like emission of inelastic dark matter pairs, $e^- N \to e^- N γ^* (\to χ_1 \barχ_0)$, will allow NA64e to probe previously unexplored regions of the iDM parameter space, in particular for modest mass splittings, $Δ\simeq 5 \times 10^{-2}$, and relatively light masses, $m_{χ_0} \lesssim 100~\mbox{MeV}$.

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arXiv2026

Constraints on dark axion portal: missing energy and fermion EDMs

We study a model in which a new interactions between the Standard Model (SM) photon and both the dark photon ($γ_D)$ and an ALP ($a$) are described by the dark axion portal operator. The implications of this dark axion portal scenario for electron fixed-target experiments are presented. In particular, we investigate the missing energy signatures associated with production of dark photons and their subsequent invisible decays into stable dark sector fermions, $γ_D \to χ\barχ$. We discuss the discovery potential for such a scenario and derive projected sensitivity curves for the NA64$e$ and LDMX experiments. Furthermore, novel constraints of the NA64$e$ for $9.37\times 10^{11}$ electrons on target are derived by considering two production mechanisms for invisible states: (i)~the bremsstrahlung-like emission of an $aγ_D$ pair, $e N \to e N γ^* (\to a γ_D)$, and (ii)~the exclusive vector meson photoproduction, $γ^* N \to N V$, followed by the invisible decays of vector mesons, $V \to a γ_D$. Additionally, the constraints on the parameter space of $CP$-violating, fermion-specific ALP and dark photon couplings are established. These constraints are derived from current experimental bounds on the electric dipole moments (EDMs) of SM fermions, incorporating loop-induced contributions to the EDMs of the electron, muon, and neutron.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Probing millicharged particles with NA64$μ$ and LDMX

Millicharged particles emerge as compelling candidates in numerous theoretically well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model. These hypothetical particles, characterized by an electric charge that is a small fraction of the elementary charge, have attracted significant attention in contemporary experimental physics. Their potential existence motivates dedicated search strategies across multiple experimental platforms, leveraging their distinctive electromagnetic interactions while evading conventional detection methods. In the present paper we estimated the projected sensitivity of fixed-target experiments, specifically NA64$μ$ and LDMX, to the parameter space of millicharged particles. For the NA64$μ$ experiment, with an anticipated muon flux of $\mbox{MOT}\lesssim 10^{14}$, our analysis reveals a detectable mass window of $10~\mbox{MeV} \lesssim m_χ\lesssim 150~\mbox{MeV}$ and charge parameter range $10^{-4} \lesssim ε\lesssim 7\times 10^{-4}$. This sensitivity arises from the bremsstrahlung-like missing energy signature $μN \to μN γ^{*}( \to χ\barχ)$. Furthermore, we evaluate the discovery potential of the LDMX facility, considering its projected electron beam statistics, $\mbox{EOT}\lesssim 2\times 10^{16}$, and energy, $E_{\rm e}\simeq 8~\mbox{GeV}$. Our results demonstrate that LDMX can probe heavier MCPs in the mass range $250~\mbox{MeV} \lesssim m_χ\lesssim 400 ~\mbox{MeV}$, with sensitivities reaching $10^{-3} \lesssim ε\lesssim 1.5 \times 10^{-3}$. This parametric window can be accessible through the distinctive invisible decay channel $ρ\to χ\barχ$, where $ρ$-meson photo-production $γN \to N ρ$ plays a pivotal role.

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arXiv2025

Probing leptophobic dark sector with a pseudoscalar portal in the NA64 experiment at CERN

We propose the possibility of discovering a light pseudoscalar particle $a$, axion-like particle (ALP), interacting mainly with quarks using the electron and photon scattering reaction chain $e + Z \rightarrow e + γ+ Z$; $γ+ Z \rightarrow a + Z$ on nuclei in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS. We consider the mixing of ALP with light pseudoscalar mesons $P = π, η, η'$ with taking into account of the ALP mass explicitly breaking the Peccei-Quinn symmetry. It could open invisible channels of ALP decaying into dark fermion matter by analogy with $P$ mesons decays. New bounds on the coupling strengths of the ALP with quarks and of pseudoscalar mesons with dark fermions are obtained by using existing upper bounds on invisible decay modes of $P$s including those recently derived by NA64. We also study a scenario when the $a$ plays the role of a messenger in the communication between our world and the dark sector. New upper limits on axion couplings with quarks and its mixing parameters with $π, η, η'$ mesons are established.

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arXiv2025

Formation of true muonium in the Drell-Yan dimuon production

We suggest a new mechanism for the formation of true muonium ($T\!M$), the QED $(μ^+ μ^-)$ bound state, due to the Coulomb interaction of muons from $μ^+ μ^-$ pairs generated in the Drell-Yan reaction of protons off nuclei of a thin foil target. The $T\!M$ atoms produced in the $^3S_1$ long-lived triplet state ($oT\!M$) could escape from the foil to vacuum followed by their decay into $e^+e^-$ pairs. Observation of $e^+e^-$ events with a displaced vertex, and an invariant mass and decay time consistent with the mass and lifetime of the $oT\!M$ is used as a signature of the discovery of $T\!M$. We present estimates of the $T\!M$ yield and briefly discuss an experiment which could lead to such a discovery.

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arXiv2023

Test of vector portal with dark fermions in the charge-exchange reactions in the NA64 experiment at CERN SPS

We consider an experiment to search for dark sector particles in dark photon kinetic mixing model by analyze invisible and semi-invisible decays of neutral mesons $M^0 = π^0$, $η$, $η'$, $ω$, $f_2(1270)$, produced in the NA64 experiment at the CERN SPS. The approach proposed in Ref.~\cite{Gninenko:2014sxa} is to use the charge-exchange reactions $π^- + (A, Z) \to M^0 + (A,Z-1); M^0 \to$ invisible or semi-invisible of high-energy pions (or kaons) at a nuclei target as a source of $M^0$s, which subsequently decay invisibly into dark sector. This reaction chain would lead to a striking signature of the signal event - the complete disappearance of the beam energy in the setup. Using data obtained from the study of charge-exchange reactions at IHEP (Protvino) and Fermilab (Batavia) we show that the integral cross sections $σ$ for production of the neutral mesons $M^0$ are slightly deviate from phenomenological formula $σ\sim Z^{2/3}$, where $Z$ is the nuclei charge. In particular, we present the formulas for the differential and integral sections that explicitly depend on the Mandelstam and $Z$ variables. Derived formulas are used to predict the cross sections as a function of beam energy for several target nuclei, and to estimate the projection sensitivity for the proposed search for the $M^0\to$ semi-invisible and $M^0\to$ invisible decays through the vector portal to dark sector. Sensitivity to different semi-invisible decay modes of neutral pseudoscalar mesons is studied.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Probing invisible vector meson decay mode with hadronic beam in the NA64 experiment at SPS/CERN

We test a novel idea of using a $π^-$ beam in the fixed-target experiments to search for New Physics in the events with missing energy. Bounds for invisible vector $ρ$ meson decay were derived, analyzed, and compared with the current limits on searching Dark Matter in the accelerator based experiments. We demonstrate that the new approach can be effective tool to probe sub-GeV Dark Matter parameter space.

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