Search for a Higgs Portal Scalar Decaying to Electron-Positron Pairs in the MicroBooNE Detector
Name
PhysRevLett.127.151803.pdf
Description
Published version
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344.11 KB
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Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
Conrad, Janet
Hen, Or
Date Issued
2021
Journal
Physical Review Letters
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Citation
Conrad, Janet and Hen, Or. 2021. "Search for a Higgs Portal Scalar Decaying to Electron-Positron Pairs in the MicroBooNE Detector." Physical Review Letters, 127 (15).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We present a search for the decays of a neutral scalar boson produced by
kaons decaying at rest, in the context of the Higgs portal model, using the
MicroBooNE detector. We analyze data triggered in time with the Fermilab NuMI
neutrino beam spill, with an exposure of $1.93\times10^{20}$ protons on target.
We look for monoenergetic scalars that come from the direction of the NuMI
hadron absorber, at a distance of 100 m from the detector, and decay to
electron-positron pairs. We observe one candidate event, with a Standard Model
background prediction of $1.9\pm0.8$. We set an upper limit on the scalar-Higgs
mixing angle of $\theta<(3.3-4.6)\times10^{-4}$ at the 95% confidence level for
scalar boson masses in the range $(100-200)$ MeV$/c^2$. We exclude at the 95%
confidence level the remaining model parameters required to explain the central
value of a possible excess of $K^0_L\rightarrow\pi^0\nu\bar{\nu}$ decays
reported by the KOTO collaboration. We also provide a model-independent limit
on a new boson $X$ produced in $K\rightarrow\pi X$ decays and decaying to
$e^+e^-$.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.127.151803
