Search for Nucleon Decay into Charged Anti-lepton plus Meson in Super-Kamiokande I and II

Collaboration
Mar, 2012

Citations per year

20112014201720202023051015202530
Abstract: (arXiv)
Searches for a nucleon decay into a charged anti-lepton (e^+ or {\mu}^+) plus a light meson ({\pi}^0, {\pi}^-, {\eta}, {\rho}^0, {\rho}^-, {\omega}) were performed using the Super-Kamiokande I and II data. Twelve nucleon decay modes were searched for. The total exposure is 140.9 kiloton \cdot years, which includes a 91.7 kiloton \cdot year exposure (1489.2 live days) of Super-Kamiokande-I and a 49.2 kiloton \cdot year exposure (798.6 live days) of Super-Kamiokande-II. The number of candidate events in the data was consistent with the atmospheric neutrino background expectation. No significant evidence for a nucleon decay was observed in the data. Thus, lower limits on the nucleon partial lifetime at 90% confidence level were obtained. The limits range from 3.6 \times 10^31 to 8.2 \times 10^33 years, depending on the decay modes.
Note:
  • 25 pages, 18 figures
  • 11.30.Fs
  • 13.30.Ce
  • 29.40.Ka
  • 14.20.Dh
  • nucleon: decay modes
  • neutrino: atmosphere
  • neutrino: background
  • KAMIOKANDE
  • nucleon: lifetime: lower limit
  • positron: final state