Search for $K^+$ decays to a muon and invisible particles

TL;DR

The NA62 experiment searched for rare $K^+$ decays involving invisible particles, setting new upper limits on their branching fractions and neutrino mixing parameters, thus probing physics beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

First experimental limits on $K^+$ decays to a muon and invisible particles, including heavy neutral leptons and hidden sector mediators, using data from 2016-2018.

Findings

Upper limits on neutrino mixing parameter $|U_{\mu4}|^2$ for heavy neutral leptons.

First limits on $K^+ o ext{ extmu}^+X$ decays with $X$ as hidden sector mediators.

Improved upper limit on $K^+ o ext{ extmu}^+ u uar u$ branching fraction.

Abstract

The NA62 experiment at CERN reports searches for $K^+\to\mu^+N$ and $K^+\to\mu^+\nu X$ decays, where $N$ and $X$ are massive invisible particles, using the 2016-2018 data set. The $N$ particle is assumed to be a heavy neutral lepton, and the results are expressed as upper limits of ${\cal O}(10^{-8})$ of the neutrino mixing parameter $|U_{\mu4}|^2$ for $N$ masses in the range 200-384 MeV/$c^2$ and lifetime exceeding 50 ns. The $X$ particle is considered a scalar or vector hidden sector mediator decaying to an invisible final state, and upper limits of the decay branching fraction for $X$ masses in the range 10-370 MeV/$c^2$ are reported for the first time, ranging from ${\cal O}(10^{-5})$ to ${\cal O}(10^{-7})$. An improved upper limit of $1.0\times 10^{-6}$ is established at 90% CL on the $K^+\to\mu^+\nu\nu\bar\nu$ branching fraction.