Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN

(NA64 Collaboration)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report the first results on a direct search for a new 16.7 MeV boson (X) which could explain the anomalous excess of e+e- pairs observed in the excited Be∗8 nucleus decays. Because of its coupling to electrons, the X could be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction e-Z→e-ZX by a 100 GeV e- beam incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron and observed through the subsequent decay into a e+e- pair. With 5.4×1010 electrons on target, no evidence for such decays was found, allowing us to set first limits on the X-e- coupling in the range 1.3×10-4 ϵe4.2×10-4 excluding part of the allowed parameter space. We also set new bounds on the mixing strength of photons with dark photons (A′) from nonobservation of the decay A′→e+e- of the bremsstrahlung A′ with a mass 23 MeV.

Original languageEnglish
Article number231802
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume120
Issue number23
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Jun 2018

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bosons
photons
decay
bremsstrahlung
synchrotrons
electrons
nuclei
protons

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physics and Astronomy(all)

Cite this

Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN. / (NA64 Collaboration).

In: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 120, No. 23, 231802, 08.06.2018.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

(NA64 Collaboration) 2018, 'Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN', Physical Review Letters, vol. 120, no. 23, 231802. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.231802
(NA64 Collaboration). Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN. Physical Review Letters. 2018 Jun 8;120(23). 231802. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.231802
(NA64 Collaboration). / Search for a Hypothetical 16.7 MeV Gauge Boson and Dark Photons in the NA64 Experiment at CERN. In: Physical Review Letters. 2018 ; Vol. 120, No. 23.
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abstract = "We report the first results on a direct search for a new 16.7 MeV boson (X) which could explain the anomalous excess of e+e- pairs observed in the excited Be∗8 nucleus decays. Because of its coupling to electrons, the X could be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction e-Z→e-ZX by a 100 GeV e- beam incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron and observed through the subsequent decay into a e+e- pair. With 5.4×1010 electrons on target, no evidence for such decays was found, allowing us to set first limits on the X-e- coupling in the range 1.3×10-4 ϵe4.2×10-4 excluding part of the allowed parameter space. We also set new bounds on the mixing strength of photons with dark photons (A′) from nonobservation of the decay A′→e+e- of the bremsstrahlung A′ with a mass 23 MeV.",
author = "{(NA64 Collaboration)} and D. Banerjee and Burtsev, {V. E.} and Chumakov, {A. G.} and D. Cooke and P. Crivelli and E. Depero and Dermenev, {A. V.} and Donskov, {S. V.} and Dusaev, {R. R.} and T. Enik and N. Charitonidis and A. Feshchenko and Frolov, {V. N.} and A. Gardikiotis and Gerassimov, {S. G.} and Gninenko, {S. N.} and M. H{\"o}sgen and M. Jeckel and Karneyeu, {A. E.} and G. Kekelidze and B. Ketzer and Kirpichnikov, {D. V.} and Kirsanov, {M. M.} and Konorov, {I. V.} and Kovalenko, {S. G.} and Kramarenko, {V. A.} and Kravchuk, {L. V.} and Krasnikov, {N. V.} and Kuleshov, {S. V.} and Lyubovitskij, {V. E.} and V. Lysan and Matveev, {V. A.} and Mikhailov, {Yu V.} and Peshekhonov, {D. V.} and Polyakov, {V. A.} and B. Radics and R. Rojas and A. Rubbia and Samoylenko, {V. D.} and Tikhomirov, {V. O.} and Tlisov, {D. A.} and Toropin, {A. N.} and Trifonov, {A. Yu} and Vasilishin, {B. I.} and {Vasquez Arenas}, G. and Volkov, {P. V.} and V. Volkov and P. Ulloa",
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AU - (NA64 Collaboration)

AU - Banerjee, D.

AU - Burtsev, V. E.

AU - Chumakov, A. G.

AU - Cooke, D.

AU - Crivelli, P.

AU - Depero, E.

AU - Dermenev, A. V.

AU - Donskov, S. V.

AU - Dusaev, R. R.

AU - Enik, T.

AU - Charitonidis, N.

AU - Feshchenko, A.

AU - Frolov, V. N.

AU - Gardikiotis, A.

AU - Gerassimov, S. G.

AU - Gninenko, S. N.

AU - Hösgen, M.

AU - Jeckel, M.

AU - Karneyeu, A. E.

AU - Kekelidze, G.

AU - Ketzer, B.

AU - Kirpichnikov, D. V.

AU - Kirsanov, M. M.

AU - Konorov, I. V.

AU - Kovalenko, S. G.

AU - Kramarenko, V. A.

AU - Kravchuk, L. V.

AU - Krasnikov, N. V.

AU - Kuleshov, S. V.

AU - Lyubovitskij, V. E.

AU - Lysan, V.

AU - Matveev, V. A.

AU - Mikhailov, Yu V.

AU - Peshekhonov, D. V.

AU - Polyakov, V. A.

AU - Radics, B.

AU - Rojas, R.

AU - Rubbia, A.

AU - Samoylenko, V. D.

AU - Tikhomirov, V. O.

AU - Tlisov, D. A.

AU - Toropin, A. N.

AU - Trifonov, A. Yu

AU - Vasilishin, B. I.

AU - Vasquez Arenas, G.

AU - Volkov, P. V.

AU - Volkov, V.

AU - Ulloa, P.

PY - 2018/6/8

Y1 - 2018/6/8

N2 - We report the first results on a direct search for a new 16.7 MeV boson (X) which could explain the anomalous excess of e+e- pairs observed in the excited Be∗8 nucleus decays. Because of its coupling to electrons, the X could be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction e-Z→e-ZX by a 100 GeV e- beam incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron and observed through the subsequent decay into a e+e- pair. With 5.4×1010 electrons on target, no evidence for such decays was found, allowing us to set first limits on the X-e- coupling in the range 1.3×10-4 ϵe4.2×10-4 excluding part of the allowed parameter space. We also set new bounds on the mixing strength of photons with dark photons (A′) from nonobservation of the decay A′→e+e- of the bremsstrahlung A′ with a mass 23 MeV.

AB - We report the first results on a direct search for a new 16.7 MeV boson (X) which could explain the anomalous excess of e+e- pairs observed in the excited Be∗8 nucleus decays. Because of its coupling to electrons, the X could be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction e-Z→e-ZX by a 100 GeV e- beam incident on an active target in the NA64 experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron and observed through the subsequent decay into a e+e- pair. With 5.4×1010 electrons on target, no evidence for such decays was found, allowing us to set first limits on the X-e- coupling in the range 1.3×10-4 ϵe4.2×10-4 excluding part of the allowed parameter space. We also set new bounds on the mixing strength of photons with dark photons (A′) from nonobservation of the decay A′→e+e- of the bremsstrahlung A′ with a mass 23 MeV.

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DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.231802

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