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Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
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Published on: November 15, 2013

Evidence for the decay sigma+ --> pmu+ mu-.

H K Park1, R A Burnstein, A Chakravorty

  • 1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|February 9, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Researchers observed the rare Sigma+ hyperon decay into a proton and two muons. This finding provides the first evidence for this decay, with potential implications for understanding fundamental particle interactions.

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Area of Science:

  • Particle Physics
  • Hyperon Decays
  • Rare Processes

Background:

  • The Sigma+ hyperon is a baryon containing strange quark.
  • Understanding hyperon decays provides insights into the Standard Model of particle physics.
  • Previous searches for Sigma+ --> p mu+ mu- decay have not yielded evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To search for and report the first evidence of the Sigma+ --> p mu+ mu- decay.
  • To measure the branching ratio of this rare decay.
  • To investigate the properties of the dimuon system in this decay.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data collected by the HyperCP (E871) experiment at Fermilab.
  • Identification of Sigma+ hyperon decays into a proton and a dimuon pair.
  • Statistical analysis to determine the significance and branching ratio of the observed decay.

Main Results:

  • Observed three events consistent with the Sigma+ --> p mu+ mu- decay.
  • Measured the branching ratio B(Sigma+ --> p mu+ mu-) = [8.6(+6.6)(-5.4)(stat)+/-5.5(syst)]x10(-8).
  • The dimuon mass distribution suggests a possible intermediate neutral state (P0) with a mass of 214.3+/-0.5 MeV/c(2).

Conclusions:

  • The first experimental evidence for the Sigma+ --> p mu+ mu- decay has been established.
  • The measured branching ratio is consistent with theoretical predictions for rare hyperon decays.
  • The potential intermediate neutral state warrants further investigation in future studies.