Search for the proton decay mode p -> (v)over-barK(+) with KamLAND

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2015-09-23
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Physical Society
Abstract

We present a search for the proton decay mode p ->(v) over barK(+) based on an exposure of 8.97 kton-years in the KamLAND experiment. The liquid scintillator detector is sensitive to successive signals from p ->(v) over barK(+) with unique kinematics, which allow us to achieve a detection efficiency of 44%, higher than previous searches in water Cherenkov detectors. We find no evidence of proton decays for this mode. The expected background, which is dominated by atmospheric neutrinos, is 0.9 +/- 0.2 events. The nonbackground-subtracted limit on the partial proton lifetime is tau/B (p ->(v) over barK(+)) > 5.4 x 10(32) years at 90% C. L.

Description
Keywords
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Physics, Particles & Fields, Physics
Citation
Asakura, K., et al. (2015): Search for the Proton Decay Mode P → [bar over v]K[superscript +] with KamLAND. Physical Review D, 92(5). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.92.052006