Baryon-number-violating nucleon decays in SMEFT extended with a light scalar

TL;DR

This paper investigates baryon-number-violating nucleon decays involving a light scalar within SMEFT, setting bounds on operators, predicting decay modes, and proposing models to guide experimental searches.

Contribution

It systematically analyzes BNV nucleon decays with a light scalar in SMEFT, providing bounds, predictions, and UV-complete models for experimental exploration.

Findings

Set stringent bounds on BNV operators from experimental data

Predicted several BNV three-body nucleon decay modes

Proposed UV-complete models generating BNV operators

Abstract

New light particles have received considerable attention in recent years. Baryon-number-violating (BNV) nucleon decays involving such light particles are able to provide stringent constraints. They exhibit distinctive experimental signatures that merit thorough investigation. We systematically investigate BNV nucleon decay with a light scalar in an effective field theory framework. Within this framework, we set stringent bounds on BNV operators using available experimental data and predict the occurrence of several BNV three-body nucleon decays. We further study contributions to dinucleon to dilepton transitions in a nucleus mediated by the scalar, which complements single nucleon decay. Finally, we provide three ultraviolet-complete models that can generate different subsets of BNV operators in leading order. Our theoretical framework will facilitate experimental searches for those exotic nucleon decays.