Search for lepton flavor violation in supersymmetric models via meson decays

Considering the constraints from the experimental data on μ→eγ$\mu \to e\gamma$, μ→3e$\mu \to 3e$, μ–e$\mu \text{–}e$ conversion, etc., we analyze the lepton flavor violating decays ?(J/Ψ,?(1S))→e⁺μ⁻(μ⁺τ⁻)$?(J/\Psi ,?(1S))\to e^{+}{\mu }^{-}({\mu }^{+}{\tau }^{-})$ in the scenarios of the minimal supersymmetric extensions of Standard Model with seesaw mechanism. Numerically, there is parameter space that the LFV processes of J/Ψ(?)→μ⁺τ⁻$J/\Psi (?)\to {\mu }^{+}{\tau }^{-}$ can reach the upper experimental bounds, meanwhile the theoretical predictions on μ→eγ$\mu \to e\gamma$, μ→3e$\mu \to 3e$, μ–e$\mu \text{–}e$ conversion satisfy the present experimental bounds. For searching of new physics, lepton flavor violating processes J/Ψ(?)→μ⁺τ⁻$J/\Psi (?)\to {\mu }^{+}{\tau }^{-}$ may be more promising and effective channels.     

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.     

Search for lepton flavor violation in K+ decays into a charged pion and two leptons

A search for lepton flavor violating decays, K+ --> mu+ mu+ pi-, K+ --> e+ e+ pi-, K+ --> pi+ e+ mu-, K+ --> mu+ e+ pi-, and pi0 --> e+ mu-, was performed using the data collected in Experiment E865 at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. No signal was found in any of the decay modes. At the 90% confidence level, the branching ratios are less than 3.0x10(-9), 6.4x10(-10), 5. 2x10(-10), 5.0x10(-10), and 3.4x10(-9), respectively.     

Test of lepton flavour violation at the LHC

We study lepton flavour violating decays of neutralinos and sleptons within the minimal supersymmetric standard model, assuming two and three generation mixings in the slepton sector. We take into account the most recent bounds on flavour violating rare lepton decays. Taking the SPS1a’ scenario as an example, we show that some of the lepton flavour violating branching ratios of neutralinos and sleptons can be sizable (∼5–10%). We study the impact of the lepton flavour violating neutralino and slepton decays on the di-lepton mass distributions measured at the LHC. We find that they can result in novel and characteristic edge structures in the distributions. In particular, double-edge structures can appear in the eτ and μτ mass spectra if is the lightest slepton. The appearance of these remarkable structures provides a powerful test of supersymmetric lepton flavour violation at the LHC.     

Search for lepton flavor violation in ep collisions at 300 GeV center of mass energy

Using the ZEUS detector at the HERA electronproton collider, we have searched for lepton flavor violation in ep collisions at a center—of—mass energy ($sqrt S$) of 300 GeV. Events of the type e + p → ? + X with a final—state lepton of high transverse momentum, ? = μ or τ, were sought. No evidence was found for lepton flavor violation in the combined 1993 and 1994 data samples, for which the integrated luminosities were 0.84 pb{?1}for e{～p collisions and 2.94 pb{?1} for e⁺p collisions. Limits on coupling vs. mass are provided for leptoquarks and R—parity violating squarks. For flavor violating couplings of electromagnetic strength, we set 95% confidence level lower limits on leptoquark masses between 207 GeV and 272 GeV, depending on the leptoquark species and final—state lepton. For leptoquark masses larger than 300 GeV, limits on flavor—changing couplings are determined, many of which supersede prior limits from rare decay processes.     

Search for lepton flavour number violating Z0- decays

A search for lepton flavour number violating Z⁰ decays in the channels Z ⁰ → μτ, Z ⁰ → eτ, Z ⁰ → eμ, using the DELPHI detector with data collected during the 1991–94 LEP runs, is described. No signal was found. Upper limits at 95% confidence level for the respective branching fractions of 1.2 × 10^?5, 2.2 × 10^?5, and 0.25 × 10^?5, were obtained.     

Search for lepton flavour violation in ep collisions at HERA

A search for the lepton flavour violating processes ep→μX and ep→τX is performed with the H1 experiment at HERA. Final states with a muon or tau and a hadronic jet are searched for in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 66.5 pb^-1 for e⁺p collisions and 13.7 pb^-1 for e^-p collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 319 GeV. No evidence for lepton flavour violation is found. Limits are derived on the mass and the couplings of leptoquarks inducing lepton flavour violation in an extension of the Buchmüller–Rückl–Wyler effective model. Leptoquarks produced in ep collisions with a coupling strength of λ=0.3 and decaying with the same coupling strength to a muon–quark pair or a tau–quark pair are excluded at 95% confidence level up to masses of 459 GeV and 379 GeV, respectively.     

Search for lepton flavor violating decays tau+/--->l+/-omega

A search for lepton flavor violating decays of a tau to a lighter-mass charged lepton and an omega vector meson is performed using 384.1 fb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data collected with the BABAR detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center PEP-II storage ring. No signal is found, and the upper limits on the branching ratios are determined to be B(tau(+/-)-->e;{+/-}omega)<1.1 x10 (-7) and B(tau(+/-)-->micro(+/-)omega)<1.0 x 10(-7) at 90% confidence level.     

Search for lepton flavor violation in the decay tau+/--->e+/-gamma

A search for the nonconservation of lepton flavor in the decay tau+/--->e+/-gamma has been performed with 2.07x10(8) e+e--->tau+tau- events collected by the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP II storage ring at a center-of-mass energy near 10.58 GeV. We find no evidence for a signal and set an upper limit on the branching ratio of Beta(tau+/--->e+/-gamma)<1.1x10(-7) at 90% confidence level.     

Baryogenesis and lepton number violation

The cosmological baryon asymmetry can be explained by the nonperturbative electroweak reprocessing of a lepton asymmetry generated in the out-of-equilibrium decay of heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos. We analyze this mechanism in detail in the framework of a SO(10)-subgroup. We take three right-handed neutrinos into account and discuss physical neutrino mass matrices.     

Search for CP violation in the lepton sector

One of the major open issues in neutrino physics is the possible existence of CP violation in the neutrino sector. Such an observation would have an important impact in various domains of physics, from high energy physics to cosmology. Its search requires future accelerator neutrino facilities producing intense and pure neutrino beams such as “beta-beams”. Here we review the different beta-beam scenarios proposed so far and discuss the present status, with a particular emphasis on the original baseline scenario and its feasibility. Alternative strategies for the CP violation search are to be pursued as well. A possibility is to search for CP violation effects in astrophysical environments. Here we present recent analytical and numerical results obtained in the context of core-collapse supernovae. In particular, we point out the conditions under which there can be CP violating effects in dense media and show numerical results on the supernova (anti-)neutrino fluxes and on the electron fraction, relevant for the r-process nucleosynthesis.     

Measurement of CP violation in stop cascade decays at the LHC

We study the potential observation at the LHC of CP-violating effects in stop production and subsequent cascade decays, , , , within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We study T-odd asymmetries based on triple products between the different decay products. There may be a large CP asymmetry at the parton level, but there is a significant dilution at the hadronic level after integrating over the parton distribution functions. Consequently, even for scenarios where large CP intrinsic asymmetries are expected, the measurable asymmetry is rather small. High luminosity and precise measurements of masses, branching ratios and CP asymmetries may enable measurements of the CP-violating parameters in cascade decays at the LHC.     

Search for lepton flavor violation in the decay tau+/- --> mu+ gamma

A search for the nonconservation of lepton flavor number in the decay tau(+/-) --> mu(+/-) has been performed using 2.07 x 10(8) e(+ )e(-) tau(+) tau(-) events produced at a center-of-mass energy near 10.58 GeV with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II storage ring. We find no evidence for a signal and set an upper limit on the branching ratio of Beta(tau(+/-) --> mu(+/-) gamma) < 6.8 x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level.