Search for $K^{+}\to {\pi }^{+}\nu \bar{\nu }$ at NA62

Abstract

The decay $K^{+}\to {\pi }^{+}\nu \bar{\nu }$ is highly suppressed in the Standard Model (SM), while its rate can be predicted with minimal theoretical uncertainty. The branching ratio (BR) for this decay is thus a sensitive probe of the flavor sector of the SM; its measurement, however, is a significant experimental challenge. The primary goal of the NA62 experiment is to measure $\mathrm{BR}(K^{+}\to {\pi }^{+}\nu \bar{\nu })$ with 10% precision. NA62 took data in pilot runs in 2014 and 2015, reaching the design beam intensity. The status of the experiment and the prospects for the measurement of $\mathrm{BR}(K^{+}\to {\pi }^{+}\nu \bar{\nu })$ are presented.

7 pages, 4 figures. Prepared for the proceedings of the 38th International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP 2016), Chicago, USA, 3-10 August 2016