Search for Proton Decay via $p \to e^+π^0$ and $p \to μ^+π^0$ in 0.31 megaton$\cdot$years exposure of the Super-Kamiokande Water Cherenkov Detector

M. Miura

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.95.012004

paper

Search for Proton Decay via $p \to e^{+} π^{0}$ and $p \to μ^{+} π^{0}$ in 0.31 megaton $\cdot$ years exposure of the Super-Kamiokande Water Cherenkov Detector

arXiv:1610.03597 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.95.012004

Abstract

We have searched for proton decay via $p \to e^{+} π^{0}$ and $p \to μ^{+} π^{0}$ using Super-Kamiokande data from April 1996 to March 2015, 0.306 megaton $\cdot$ years exposure in total. The atmospheric neutrino background rate in Super-Kamiokande IV is reduced to almost half that of phase I-III by tagging neutrons associated with neutrino interactions. The reach of the proton lifetime is further enhanced by introducing new signal criteria that select the decay of a proton in a hydrogen atom. No candidates were seen in the $p \to e^{+} π^{0}$ search. Two candidates that passed all of the selection criteria for $p \to μ^{+} π^{0}$ have been observed, but these are consistent with the expected number of background events of 0.87. Lower limits on the proton lifetime are set at $τ / B (p \to e^{+} π^{0}) > 1.6 \times 1 0^{34}$ years and $τ / B (p \to μ^{+} π^{0}) > 7.7 \times 1 0^{33}$ years at 90% confidence level.

11 pages, 5 figures

Search for Proton Decay via $p \to e^{+} π^{0}$ and $p \to μ^{+} π^{0}$ in 0.31 megaton $\cdot$ years exposure of the Super-Kamiokande Water Cherenkov Detector

Abstract

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Search for Proton Decay via p→e+π0 and p→μ+π0 in 0.31 megaton⋅years exposure of the Super-Kamiokande Water Cherenkov Detector

Abstract

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Cited by in corpus (79)

Search for Proton Decay via $p \to e^{+} π^{0}$ and $p \to μ^{+} π^{0}$ in 0.31 megaton $\cdot$ years exposure of the Super-Kamiokande Water Cherenkov Detector