Search for baryon and lepton number violating decays of $Ξ^{0}$ hyperons

Abstract

Using $(1.0087\pm0.0044)\times10^{10}$ $J/ψ$ events collected by the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider, we report the first search for the baryon and lepton number violating decays $Ξ^{0} \rightarrow K^{-} e^{+}$ with $Δ(B-L)=0$ and $Ξ^{0} \rightarrow K^{+} e^{-}$ with $|Δ(B-L)|=2$, where $B$ ($L$) is the baryon (lepton) number. While no signal is observed, the upper limits on the branching fractions of these two decays are set to $\mathcal B(Ξ^{0} \rightarrow K^{-} e^{+})<3.6\times10^{-6}$ and $\mathcal B(Ξ^{0} \rightarrow K^{+} e^{-})<1.9\times10^{-6}$ at the 90\% confidence level, respectively. These results offer a direct probe of baryon number violating interactions involving a strange quark.

8 pages, 5 figures