An investigation of the very rare $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ decay

Abstract

A bstract The NA62 experiment reports an investigation of the $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>π</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> mode from a sample of K + decays collected in 2017 at the CERN SPS. The experiment has achieved a single event sensitivity of (0 . 389 ± 0 . 024) × 10 − 10 , corresponding to 2.2 events assuming the Standard Model branching ratio of (8 . 4 ± 1 . 0) × 10 − 11 . Two signal candidates are observed with an expected background of 1.5 events. Combined with the result of a similar analysis conducted by NA62 on a smaller data set recorded in 2016, the collaboration now reports an upper limit of 1 . 78 × 10 − 10 for the $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>K</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>→</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>π</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mi>ν</mml:mi> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:math> branching ratio at 90% CL. This, together with the corresponding 68% CL measurement of ( $$ {0.48}_{-0.48}^{+0.72} $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mn>0.48</mml:mn> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.48</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.72</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> ) × 10 − 10 , are currently the most precise results worldwide, and are able to constrain some New Physics models that predict large enhancements still allowed by previous measurements.