The Final Frontier for Proton Decay

TL;DR

This paper proposes using lunar paleo-detectors, ancient minerals from the Moon, to search for proton decay via kaon tracks, potentially surpassing current experimental limits due to reduced background noise.

Contribution

It introduces a novel lunar paleo-detector concept for proton decay search, leveraging the Moon's low background environment and advanced mineral analysis techniques.

Findings

Expected background from neutrinos is about 0.5 kaon endpoints in a 100 g, 1 billion-year-old sample.

Proton decay sensitivity could reach τp > 10^34 years, competitive with current and future experiments.

The approach offers a futuristic but promising paradigm shift in proton decay detection methods.

Abstract

We present a novel experimental concept to search for proton decay. Using paleo-detectors, ancient minerals acquired from deep underground which can hold traces of charged particles, it may be possible to conduct a search for $p \to \bar{\nu} K^+$ via the track produced at the endpoint of the kaon. Such a search is not possible on Earth due to large atmospheric-neutrino-induced backgrounds. However, the Moon offers a reprieve from this background, since the conventional component of the cosmic-ray-induced neutrino flux at the Moon is significantly suppressed due to the Moon's lack of atmosphere. For a 100 g, $10^9$ year old (100 kton$\cdot$year exposure) sample of olivine extracted from the Moon, we expect about 0.5 kaon endpoints due to neutrino backgrounds, including secondary interactions. If such a lunar paleo-detector sample can be acquired and efficiently analyzed, proton decay sensitivity exceeding $\tau_p\sim10^{34}$ years may be achieved, competitive with Super-Kamiokande's current published limit ($\tau_p>5.9\times 10^{33}$ years at 90% CL) and the projected reach of DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande in the $p \to \bar{\nu} K^+$ channel. This concept is clearly futuristic, not least since it relies on extracting mineral samples from a few kilometers below the surface of the Moon and then efficiently scanning them for kaon endpoint induced crystal defects with sub-micron-scale resolution. However, the search for proton decay is in urgent need of a paradigm shift, and paleo-detectors could provide a promising alternative to conventional experiments.