Proton Decay: Improving the sensitivity through nuclear dynamics?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how nuclear dynamics influence proton decay detection by analyzing the proton spectral function in oxygen-16, proposing methods to improve signal identification through correlated kinematic cuts.

Contribution

It provides a nuclear physics-based evaluation of the proton spectral function in 16O, enabling enhanced detection strategies for proton decay experiments.

Findings

Spectral function evaluated using nuclear physics data

Correlated cuts can improve signal-to-noise ratio

Potential for more sensitive proton decay searches

Abstract

The kinematics of the decay of a bound proton is governed by the proton spectral function. We evaluate this quantity in 16O using the information from nuclear physics experiments. It also includes a correlated part. The reliability of this evaluation is sufficient to open the possibility of correlated cuts in the missing mass and momentum variables in order to identify the decay events from the bound protons with a possible increase of the signal to noise ratio.