Majorana neutrinos in rare meson decays

The rare meson decays K ⁺ → π ^??⁺?′⁺ and D ⁺ → K ^??⁺?′⁺ (?, ?′ = e, μ), which are induced by Majorana neutrino exchange and which are accompanied by lepton-number nonconservation, are considered. The effects of the meson structure are taken into account on the basis of the Gaussian model for the respective Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes. It is shown that existing direct experimental constraints on the decay branching ratios are overly lenient and therefore give no way to set realistic limits on effective Majorana masses. On the basis of the constraints on the lepton-mixing parameters and neutrino masses from precision measurements of electroweak processes, neutrino-oscillation experiments, searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay of nuclei, and cosmological data, indirect constraints on the branching ratios for the decays in question are obtained and found to be much more stringent than the above direct constraints.     

Search for ψ(4S) → ηJ/ψ in B~±→ ηJ/ψK~± and e~+e~-→ ηJ/ψ processes

We search for the ψ(4S) state in the B~±→ηJ/ψK~± and e~+e~-→ηJ/ψ processes based on the Belle measurements with the assumed mass M =(4230±8) MeV/c~2 and width Γ =(38±12) MeV. No significant signal is observed in the ηJ/ψ mass spectra. The 90% confidence level upper limit on the product branching fraction B(B~±→ψ(4S)K~±)B(ψ(4S)→ηJ/ψ) 6.8×10~(-6) is obtained in the B~±→ηJ/ψK~± decays. By assuming the partial width of ψ(4S)→e~+e~-to be 0.63 ke V, a branching fraction limitB(ψ(4S)→ηJ/ψ) 1.3% is obtained at the 90%confidence level in e~+e~-→ηJ/ψ, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction.     

Study of the η'→Ve~+e~- decay with hidden local symmetry model

Within the hidden local symmetry framework, the Dalitz decay η→Ve+e-is studied with the vector meson dominance model. It is found that the partial width Γ(η→ωe+e-)≈40 e V and branching ratio B(η→ωe+e-)≈2×10-4, and Γ(η→ρe+e-)≈10Γ(η→ωe+e-) and B(η→ρe+e-)≈10B(η→ωe+e-). The maximum position of the dilepton distribution is m e+e-≈1.33 Me V. These decays are measurable with the advent of high statistic ηexperiments.     

Experimental review of e~+e~-→ππh_c

We review the recent BESIII measurement of e~+e~-→ππh_c in which its line shape is studied between the center-of-mass energies of 3.9 to 4.42 Ge V and an iso-vector charmonium-like state Z_c(4020) is observed in the invariant mass of πhc at the BESIII experiment. The charged Z_c(4020)~± is the second observed Z_c state following Z_c(3900), while the Z_c(4020)~0 is the first observed neutral Z_c state. The line shape of σ(e~+e~-→ππh_c) is also reanalyzed in view of searching for the Y state and the existence of the Y(4220) state is confirmed and compared with the previous work of the BESIII experiment.     

Measurements of the absolute branching fractions for D→K̄πe+νe, D→K̄*e+νe and determination of Γ(D+→K̄*0e+νe)/Γ(D+→K̄0e+νe)

Using the data of about 33 pb^-1 collected at and around 3.773 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider, we have studied the exclusive semileptonic decays D⁺→K^-π⁺e⁺ν_e, D⁰→K̄⁰π^-e⁺ν_e, D⁺→K̄^*0e⁺ν_e and D⁰→K^*-e⁺ν_e. The absolute branching fractions for the decays are measured to be BF(D⁺→K^-π⁺e⁺ν_e)=(3.50±0.75±0.27)%, BF(D⁰→K̄⁰π^-e⁺ν_e)=(2.61±1.04±0.28)%, BF(D⁺→K̄^*0e⁺ν_e)=(5.06±1.21±0.40)% and BF(D⁰→K^*-e⁺ν_e)=(2.87±1.48±0.39)%. The ratio of the vector to pseudoscalar semileptonic decay rates Γ(D⁺→K̄^*0e⁺ν_e)/Γ(D⁺→K̄⁰e⁺ν_e) is determined to be 0.57±0.17±0.02.     

Evidence for e~+e~-→γχ_(c1,2) at center-of-mass energies from 4.009 to 4.360 GeV

Using data samples collected at center-of-mass energies of √s=4.009, 4.230, 4.260, and 4.360 Ge V with the BES detector operating at the BEPC collider, we perform a search for the process e+e-→γχc J(J =0, 1, 2)and find evidence for e+e-→γχc1 and e+e-→γχc2 with statistical significances of 3.0σ and 3.4σ, respectively. The Born cross sections σB(e+e-→γχc J), as well as their upper limits at the 90% confidence level(C.L.) are determined at each center-of-mass energy.     

The study of B→K(*)l+l- decays in family non-universal Z' models

In a combined investigation of B→K^(*)l⁺l^- decays, constraints on the related couplings in family non-universal Z' models are derived. We find that within the allowed parameter space, the recently observed forward-backward asymmetry in the B→K^(*)l⁺l^- decay can be explained by flipping the signs of the Wilson coefficients C₉^eff and C₁₀. With the obtained constraints, we also calculate the branching ratio of the B_s→μ⁺μ^- decay. The upper bound of our prediction is nearly an order of magnitude smaller than the upper bound given by the CDF Collaboration recently.     

Upper limit on the KS→3π0 decay

The search for CP-violating K_S→3π⁰ decay was performed with SND detector at VEPP-2M e⁺e⁻ collider. The total amount of data corresponding to 7 million produced K_S mesons was analyzed. No candidate events were found, giving an upper limit of the decay branching ratio: Br(K_S→3π⁰)<1.4·10⁻⁵ at 90% confidence level.     

Sterile neutrinos in lepton number and lepton flavor violating decays

We study the contribution of massive dominantly sterile neutrinos, N, to the lepton number and lepton flavor violating semileptonic decays of τ and B, D, K-mesons. We focus on special domains of sterile neutrino masses mN where it is close to its mass-shell. This leads to an enormous resonant enhancement of the decay rates of these processes. This allows us to derive stringent limits on the sterile neutrino mass mN and its mixing UαN with active flavors. We apply a joint analysis of the existing experimental bounds on the decay rates of the studied processes. In contrast to other approaches in the literature our limits are free from ad hoc assumptions on the relative size of the sterile neutrino mixing parameters. We analyze the impact of this sort of assumptions on the extraction of the limits on mN and UαN, and discuss the effect of finite detector size. Special attention was paid to the limits on meson decays with e^±e^± in final state, derived from non-observation of 0νββ-decay. We point out that observation of these decays may, in particular, shed light on the Majorana phases of the neutrino mixing matrix.     

D and D meson production near 4 GeV in e+e− annihilation

We have studied momentum spectra for D⁰ ($\text{D}$⁰) and D^± mesons produced near 4 GeV in e⁺e^? annihilation and find that production is dominated by two-body reactions involving D and D¹ states where the D¹ (charged and neutral) have masses near 2.01 GeV/c². A detailed study of D momentum spectra near E_cm = 4.028 GeV allows determination of masses and branching ratios of D and D¹ states. Lastly we find that events containing a D⁰ meson conserve strangeness, thus establishing upper limits on D⁰-$\text{D}$⁰ mixing and on the effects of charm changing neutral currents.     

Search for the electron-positron decay of axions and axionlike particles at a nuclear power reactor at Bugey

A search for the decay of isoscalar penetrating particles into ane ⁺ e-pair has been performed at the nuclear power reactor Bugey 5, situated close to Lyon (France). The detector set-up, consisting of an arrangement of large-area multiwire proportional chambers, and the data analysis are described. No excess of decay events over background has been observed. For standard axions, therefrom, stringent upper limits for the branching ratio 〈Γ _a /Γ _M ^γ , averaged over the entire reactor gamma spectrum of magnetic multipolarity, have been obtained. Analysis in terms of the decay χ→e ⁺+e ^? of a more general axionlike boson χ yields new constraints for the decay constantf _χ which enhance existing laboratory limits considerably.     

Lepton-flavor-violating pion decay π+→μ−νμ e + e + and SU(3)C ⊗ SU(3)L ⊗ U(1)N model

Within the minimal SU(3)_C ? SU(3)_L ? U(1)_N model, the lepton-flavor-violating decay π⁺→μ^?ν_μ e ⁺ e ⁺ is calculated without directly invoking lepton mixing. The branching ratio for this rare pion-decay mode is found to be much smaller than the current experimental upper limit. If the anomalous interactions are discarded, this result coincides with the result of the previous calculation.     

An experimental limit on the decayK +→μ+ v e

We have searched for the decay modeK ⁺→μ⁺ v _e by looking for thev _e interactions in a neon/hydrogen bubble chamber. The observed events with electrons are consistent with being produced byv _e from the decaysK ⁺→π⁰ e ⁺ v _e . We set a 90% confidence level upper limit of 0.4% for the μ⁺ v _e decay mode of positive kaons.     

Rare meson decay in supersymmetric theory with nonconservation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>-parity

The decay of mesons K ⁺ → π ^? l ⁺ l′⁺ and D ⁺ → K ^? l ⁺ l′⁺ (l, l′ = e, μ) involving a change of lepton number ΔL = 2 is considered in a supersymmetric extension of the standard model in which R-parity is not conserved due to trilinear Yukawa interactions. The obtained estimates for the probabilities of these decays are significantly lower than the direct experimental upper limits.     

Search for the radiative η′(958)+γ decay of the J/Ψ (3100) resonance produced in e+e− annihilation

The decay J/Ψ (3100)→ η(958) + γ has been searched for at tthe Adone e⁺e^+- storage ring. No candidate event has been found. This allows to set an upper limit of 1.0 keV (90% C.L.) for this decay partial width.     

Search for D+→φl+ν and measurement of the branching fraction for D+→φπ+

Using a data sample of integrated luminosity of about 33 pb^-1 collected around 3.773 GeV with the BESII detector at the BEPC collider, the semileptonic decays D⁺→φe⁺ν_e, D⁺→φμ⁺ν_μ and the hadronic decay D⁺→φπ⁺ are studied. The upper limits of the branching fractions are set to be BF(D⁺→φe⁺ν_e)<2.01% and BF(D⁺→φμ⁺ν_μ)<2.04% at the 90% confidence level. The ratio of the branching fractions for D⁺→φπ⁺ relative to D⁺→K^-π⁺π⁺ is measured to be 0.057±0.011±0.003. In addition, the branching fraction for D⁺→φπ⁺ is obtained to be (5.2±1.0±0.4)×10^-3.     

Discovery potentials of doubly charmed baryons

The existence of doubly heavy flavor baryons has not been well established experimentally so far. In this Letter we systematically investigate the weak decays of the doubly charmed baryons, Ξ~(++)_(cc)and Ξ~+_(cc), which should be helpful for experimental searches for these particles. The long-distance contributions are first studied in the doubly heavy baryon decays, and found to be significantly enhanced. Comparing all the processes, Ξ~(++)_(cc)→Λ~+_cK~-π~+π~+andΞ~+_cπ~+ are the most favorable decay modes for experiments to search for doubly heavy baryons.     

Measurement of the absolute branching fraction of D+→K0e+ve via K0→π0π0

By analyzing 2.93 fb^-1 data collected at the center-of-mass energy √s=3.773 GeV with the BESIII detector, we measure the absolute branching fraction of the semileptonic decay D⁺→K⁰e⁺v_e to be B(D⁺→K⁰e⁺v_e)=(8.59±0.14±0.21)% using K⁰→K_S⁰→π⁰π⁰, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. Our result is consistent with previous measurements within uncertainties..     

Effects of Final State Interactions in Pure Annihilation Decay of B+ → D+K0*

The decay of the B ⁺ meson to the D ⁺ and K ⁰* mesons is a pure annihilation decay. For this reason, in the framework of the quantum chromodynamics factorization (QCDF) approach, this decay has a small amplitude and a small branching ratio. In this research we find that, before the D ⁺ and K ⁰* mesons are produced in the final states, pair mesons such as D _s ⁺* and D _s ⁺ρ⁰ are produced. The intermediate-state mesons via the exchange of K ⁰(K ⁰*) and D ⁺(D ⁺*) go to the D ⁺ and K ⁰* final state mesons. However we calculate the B ₊ → D ⁺ K ⁰* decay in two different frameworks. The first framework is the QCDF method and the second one is final state interaction (FSI). The experimental branching ratio of B ₊ → D ₊ K ⁰* decay is less than 3 × 10^–6, and our results obtained by the QCDF method and FSI are (0.35 ± 0.04) × 10^–6 and (2.94 ± 0.10) × 10^–6, respectively.     

Searching for the process e+e- → K+K-π0 in experiments with the spherical neutral detector at VEPP-2M

We have searched for the process e⁺e^- → K⁺K^-π⁰ at energies up to 1.38 GeVin an experiment with the spherical neutral detector at the VEPP-2M e⁺e^- collider. The upper limits of the cross sections for the processes σ(e⁺e →; φπ: → K⁺K^-π⁰) < 0.023 nb and σ(e⁺e^- → KK*(892) → K⁺K^-π⁰) < 0.059 nb have been established at a 95% confidence level.