We present a search at Jefferson Laboratory for new forces mediated by sub-GeV vector bosons with weak coupling $\alpha'$ to electrons. Such a particle $A'$ can be produced in electron-nucleus fixed-target scattering and then decay to an $e^+e^-$ pair, producing a narrow resonance in the QED trident spectrum. Using APEX test run data, we searched in the mass range 175--250 MeV, found no evidence for an $A'\to e^+e^-$ reaction, and set an upper limit of $\alpha'/\alpha \simeq 10^{-6}$. Our findings demonstrate that fixed-target searches can explore a new, wide, and important range of masses and couplings for sub-GeV forces.
The binned invariant mass spectrum of e+e- pair events in the final event sample collected by APEX. The data correspond to Figure 3 of the paper, with the 0.05 MeV binning used for the profile likelihood analysis. The original plain-text file from <a href="https://doi.org/10.7484/inspirehep.data.lk95.m2gq">10.7484/inspirehep.data.lk95.m2gq</a> is accessible by clicking "Resources".
The unbinned invariant mass spectrum of e+e- pair events in the final event sample collected by APEX. The original data from <a href="https://doi.org/10.7484/inspirehep.data.ph21.l5rg">10.7484/inspirehep.data.ph21.l5rg</a> are accessible by clicking "Resources".
The ratio of cross sections for inelastic muon scattering on xenon and deuterium nuclei was measured at very low Bjorken x (0.000 02<xBj<0.25). The data were taken at Fermilab experiment E-665 with a 490 GeV/c muon beam incident on liquid deuterium and gaseous xenon targets. Two largely independent analysis techniques gave statistically consistent results. The xenon-to-deterium per-nucleon cross-section ratio is constant at approximately 0.7 for xBj below 0.003.
Data using Electromagnetic Cuts.
Data using Hadron Requirement.
Inelastic scattering of 490 GeV μ + from deuterium and xenon nuclei has been studied for x Bj > s .001. The ratio of the xenon/deuterium cross section per nucleon is observed to vary with x Bj , with a depletion in the kinematic range 0.001 < x Bj < 0.025 which exhibits no significant Q 2 dependence. An electromagnetic calorimeter was used to verify the radiative corrections.
Xenon structure function parameterized as being equal to the DEUT structurefunction.
Xenon structure function parameterized by an x-dependent shadowing factor times the DEUT structure function.