Search for $K_L \!\to\! π^0 ν\overlineν$ and $K_L \!\to\! π^0 X^0$ Decays at the J-PARC KOTO Experiment

Abstract

A search for the rare decay $K_L \!\to\! π^0 ν\overlineν$ was performed. With the data collected in 2015, corresponding to $2.2 \times 10^{19}$ protons on target, a single event sensitivity of $( 1.30 \pm 0.01_{\rm stat} \pm 0.14_{\rm syst} ) \times 10^{-9}$ was achieved and no candidate events were observed. We set an upper limit of $3.0 \times 10^{-9}$ for the branching fraction of $K_L \!\to\! π^0 ν\overlineν$ at the 90% confidence level (C.L.), which improved the previous limit by almost an order of magnitude. An upper limit for $K_L \!\to\! π^0 X^0$ was also set as $2.4 \times 10^{-9}$ at the 90% C.L., where $X^0$ is an invisible boson with a mass of $135~{\rm MeV}/c^2$.

6 pages, 4 figures; published version, no change in the results. Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3 were revised, and Fig. 4 presenting the $K_L \!\to\! π^0 X^0$ limit as a function of the $X^0$ mass was added