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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

Published on: November 15, 2013

Search for lepton number violating decays B+ → π- μ+ μ+ and B+ → K- μ+ μ+.

R Aaij¹, C Abellan Beteta, B Adeva

¹Nikhef National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Physical Review Letters

|April 3, 2012

Summary

Researchers searched for rare B+ decays violating lepton number, specifically B+ to K- or π- and two muons. No signal was observed, setting new world-leading limits on these rare particle physics processes.

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Area of Science:

Particle Physics
High Energy Physics
Standard Model Extensions

Background:

Lepton number violation is a key indicator of physics beyond the Standard Model.
The decay B+ → h- μ+ μ+ (where h- is K- or π-) is forbidden by the Standard Model but permitted in theories with Majorana neutrinos.

Purpose of the Study:

To search for the lepton number violating decay B+ → K- μ+ μ+ and B+ → π- μ+ μ+.
To set new, stringent limits on the branching fractions of these rare decays.
To probe new physics models, such as those incorporating Majorana neutrinos.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 36 fb⁻¹ of data collected by the LHCb detector.
Selection of candidate events for the B+ → K- μ+ μ+ and B+ → π- μ+ μ+ decay channels.
Statistical analysis to set upper limits on branching fractions at the 95% confidence level.

Main Results:

No significant signal was observed for either the B+ → K- μ+ μ+ or B+ → π- μ+ μ+ decay.
New upper limits on the branching fractions were established: B(B+ → K- μ+ μ+) < 5.4 × 10⁻⁸ and B(B+ → π- μ+ μ+) < 5.8 × 10⁻⁸.
These limits represent significant improvements over previous best limits, by factors of 40 and 30, respectively.

Conclusions:

The absence of signal provides strong constraints on new physics scenarios that predict lepton number violation.
The improved limits exclude a significant parameter space for models with Majorana neutrinos contributing to these decays.
This study highlights the power of LHCb in searching for rare and forbidden processes in particle physics.