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Searches for hidden sectors using $K^+\toπ^+X$ decays

The NA62 collaboration Cortina Gil, Eduardo ; Jerhot, Jan ; Minucci, Elisa ; et al.
CERN-EP-2025-167, 2025.
Inspire Record 2953428 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.160245

Results from the study of the rare decays $K^+\toπ^+ν\barν$, $K^{+}\rightarrowπ^{+}μ^{+}μ^{-}$ and $K^{+}\rightarrowπ^{+}γγ$ at the NA62 experiment at CERN are interpreted in terms of improved limits for $\rm{B}(K^+\toπ^+X)$ and coupling parameters of hidden-sector models, where $X$ is a mediator. World-leading limits are achieved for dark photon, dark scalar and axion-like particle models.

25 data tables

Number of expected and observed events as a function of squared missing mass.

Single Event Sensitivity (SES) for the $K^{+}\rightarrow\pi^{+}X$ search as a function of X mass.

Model-independent constraints on the branching ratio of the $K^{+}\rightarrow\pi^{+}X$ decay

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Search for hadronic decays of feebly-interacting particles at NA62

The NA62 collaboration Cortina Gil, Eduardo ; Jerhot, Jan ; Lurkin, Nicolas ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 85 (2025) 571, 2025.
Inspire Record 2877075 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.156981

The NA62 experiment at CERN has the capability to collect data in a beam-dump mode, where 400 GeV protons are dumped on an absorber. In this configuration, New Physics particles, including dark photons, dark scalars, and axion-like particles, may be produced in the absorber and decay in the instrumented volume beginning approximately 80 m downstream of the dump. A search for these particles decaying in flight to hadronic final states is reported, based on an analysis of a sample of $1.4 \times 10^{17}$ protons on dump collected in 2021. No evidence of a New Physics signal is observed, excluding new regions of parameter spaces of multiple models.

66 data tables

90% CL upper limit in dark photon coupling vs mass parameter space for combined di-lepton and hadronic final states, using bremsstrahlung production without the time-like form factor.

90% CL upper limit in dark photon coupling vs mass parameter space for combined di-lepton and hadronic final states, including mixing and bremsstrahlung production with a time-like form factor.

90% CL upper limit in dark scalar coupling vs mass parameter space for combined di-lepton and hadronic final states.

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Version 2
Search for leptonic decays of the dark photon at NA62

The NA62 collaboration Cortina Gil, Eduardo ; Jerhot, Jan ; Kleimenova, Alina ; et al.
Phys.Rev.Lett. 133 (2024) 111802, 2024.
Inspire Record 2738578 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.154438

The NA62 experiment at CERN, configured in beam-dump mode, has searched for dark photon decays in flight to electron-positron pairs using a sample of $1.4\times 10^{17}$ protons on dump collected in 2021. No evidence for a dark photon signal is observed. The combined result for dark photon searches in lepton-antilepton final states is presented and a region of the parameter space is excluded at 90% CL, improving on previous experimental limits for dark photon mass values between 50 and 600 MeV$/c^2$ and coupling values in the range $10^{-6}$ to $4\times10^{-5}$. An interpretation of the $e^+ e^-$ search result in terms of the emission and decay of an axion-like particle is also presented.

6 data tables

90% CL upper limit in dark photon coupling vs mass parameter space for the $A^\prime \rightarrow e^+e^-$ analysis.

90% CL upper limit in dark photon coupling vs mass parameter space for the $A^\prime \rightarrow e^+e^-$ analysis.

90% CL upper limit in dark photon coupling vs mass parameter space for the $A^\prime \rightarrow l^+l^-$ analysis.

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Version 2
Measurement of the $K^+\to\pi^+\gamma\gamma$ decay

The NA62 collaboration Cortina Gil, Eduardo ; Minucci, Elisa ; Padolski, Sergey ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 850 (2024) 138513, 2024.
Inspire Record 2718968 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.147259

A sample of 3984 candidates of the $K^+\to\pi^+\gamma\gamma$ decay, with an estimated background of $291\pm14$ events, was collected by the NA62 experiment at CERN during 2017-2018. In order to describe the observed di-photon mass spectrum, the next-to-leading order contribution in chiral perturbation theory was found to be necessary. The decay branching ratio in the full kinematic range is measured to be $(9.61\pm0.17)\times10^{-7}$. The first search for production and prompt decay of an axion-like particle with gluon coupling in the process $K^+\to\pi^+a$, $a\to\gamma\gamma$ is also reported.

10 data tables

See caption of Figure 6.

See caption of Figure 6.

Upper limits at 90% CL of $B(K^+\to\pi^+a)\times B(a\to\gamma\gamma)$ in the prompt ALP decay assumption.

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Search for $K^+$ decays into the $\pi^+e^+e^-e^+e^-$ final state

The NA62 collaboration Cortina Gil, Eduardo ; Minucci, Elisa ; Padolski, Sergey ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 846 (2023) 138193, 2023.
Inspire Record 2676523 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.144587

The first search for ultra-rare $K^+$ decays into the $\pi^+e^+e^-e^+e^-$ final state is reported, using a dataset collected by the NA62 experiment at CERN in 2017-2018. An upper limit of $1.4\times 10^{-8}$ at 90% CL is obtained for the branching ratio of the $K^+\to\pi^+e^+e^-e^+e^-$ decay, predicted in the Standard Model to be $(7.2\pm0.7)\times 10^{-11}$. Upper limits at 90% CL are obtained at the level of $10^{-9}$ for the branching ratios of two prompt decay chains involving pair-production of hidden-sector mediators: $K^+\to\pi^+aa$, $a\to e^+e^-$ and $K^+\to\pi^+S$, $S\to A^\prime A^\prime$, $A^\prime\to e^+e^-$.

1 data table

See caption of Fig 4.


Search for dark photon decays to $\mu^+\mu^-$ at NA62

The NA62 collaboration Cortina Gil, Eduardo ; Jerhot, Jan ; Kleimenova, Alina ; et al.
JHEP 09 (2023) 035, 2023.
Inspire Record 2642398 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.144533

The NA62 experiment at CERN, designed to study the ultra-rare decay $K^+ \to \pi^+\nu\overline{\nu}$, has also collected data in beam-dump mode. In this configuration, dark photons may be produced by protons dumped on an absorber and reach a decay volume beginning 80 m downstream. A search for dark photons decaying in flight to $\mu^+\mu^-$ pairs is reported, based on a sample of $1.4 \times 10^{17}$ protons on dump collected in 2021. No evidence for a dark photon signal is observed. A region of the parameter space is excluded at 90% CL, improving on previous experimental limits for dark photon masses between 215 and 550 MeV$/c^2$.

2 data tables

90% CL upper limit in dark photon coupling vs mass parameter space.

90% CL upper limit in \(BR(B \rightarrow K a, a \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^-)\) vs lifetime \(\tau \) parameter space.