1. First Results in the Search for Dark Sectors at NA64 with the CERN SPS High Energy Muon Beam.
- Author
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Andreev YM, Banerjee D, Banto Oberhauser B, Bernhard J, Bisio P, Charitonidis N, Crivelli P, Depero E, Dermenev AV, Donskov SV, Dusaev RR, Enik T, Frolov VN, Gardikiotis A, Gertsenberger SV, Girod S, Gninenko SN, Hösgen M, Joosten R, Kachanov VA, Kambar Y, Karneyeu AE, Kasianova EA, Kekelidze G, Ketzer B, Kirpichnikov DV, Kirsanov MM, Kolosov VN, Kramarenko VA, Kravchuk LV, Krasnikov NV, Kuleshov SV, Lyubovitskij VE, Lysan V, Matveev VA, Mena Fredes R, Mena Yanssen RG, Molina Bueno L, Mongillo M, Peshekhonov DV, Polyakov VA, Radics B, Salamatin KM, Samoylenko VD, Shchukin DA, Soto O, Sieber H, Tikhomirov VO, Tlisova IV, Toropin AN, Tuzi M, Veit MB, Volkov PV, Volkov VY, Voronchikhin IV, Zamora-Saá J, and Zhevlakov AS
- Abstract
We report the first search for dark sectors performed at the NA64 experiment employing a high energy muon beam and a missing energy-momentum technique. Muons from the M2 beamline at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron with a momentum of 160 GeV/c are directed to an active target. The signal signature consists of a single scattered muon with momentum <80 GeV/c in the final state, accompanied by missing energy, i.e., no detectable activity in the downstream calorimeters. For a total dataset of (1.98±0.02)×10^{10} muons on target, no event is observed in the expected signal region. This allows us to set new limits on the remaining (m_{Z^{'}},g_{Z^{'}}) parameter space of a new Z^{'} (L_{μ}-L_{τ}) vector boson which could explain the muon (g-2)_{μ} anomaly. Additionally, our study excludes part of the parameter space suggested by the thermal dark matter relic abundance. Our results pave the way to explore dark sectors and light dark matter with muon beams in a unique and complementary way to other experiments.
- Published
- 2024
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