Search for eV (pseudo)scalar penetrating particles in the SPS neutrino beam: NOMAD collaboration

P. Astier, D. Autiero, A. Baldisseri, M. Baldo-Ceolin, G. Ballocchi, M. Banner, G. Bassompierre, K. Benslama, N. Besson, I. Bird, B. Blumenfeld, F. Bobisut, J. Bouchez, S. Boyd, A. Bueno, S. Bunyatov, L. Camilleri, A. Cardini, P. W. Cattaneo, V. CavasinniA. Cervera-Villanueva, G. Collazuol, G. Conforto, C. Conta, M. Contalbrigo, R. Cousins, D. Daniels, H. Degaudenzi, T. Del Prete, A. De Santo, T. Dignan, L. Di Lella, E. Do Couto e Silva, J. Dumarchez, M. Ellis, G. J. Feldman, R. Ferrari, D. Ferrère, V. Flaminio, M. Fraternali, J. M. Gaillard, E. Gangler, A. Geiser, D. Geppert, D. Gibin, S. N. Gninenko, A. Godley, J. J. Gomez-Cadenas, J. Gosset, C. Gößling, M. Gouanère, A. Grant, G. Graziani, A. Guglielmi, C. Hagner, J. Hernando, D. Hubbard, P. Hurst, N. Hyett, E. Iacopini, C. Joseph, F. Juget, M. M. Kirsanov, O. Klimov, J. Kokkonen, A. V. Kovzelev, N. V. Krasnikov, A. Krasnoperov, V. E. Kuznetsov, S. Lacaprara, C. Lachaud, B. Lakić, A. Lanza, L. La Rotonda, M. Laveder, A. Letessier-Selvon, J. M. Levy, L. Linssen, A. Ljubičić, J. Long, A. Lupi, A. Marchionni, F. Martelli, X. Méchain, J. P. Mendiburu, J. P. Meyer, M. Mezzetto, S. R. Mishra, G. F. Moorhead, L. Mossuz, P. Nédélec, Y. Nefedov, C. Nguyen-Mau, D. Orestano, F. Pastore, L. S. Peak, E. Pennacchio, H. Pessard, R. Petti, A. Placci, G. Polesello, D. Pollmann, B. Popov, C. Poulsen, J. Rico, C. Roda, A. Rubbia, F. Salvatore, K. Schahmaneche, B. Schmidt, T. Schmidt, M. Sevior, D. Sillou, F. J.P. Soler, G. Sozzi, D. Steele, M. Steininger, U. Stiegler, M. Stipčević, T. Stolarczyk, M. Tareb-Reyes, G. N. Taylor, V. Tereshchenko, A. N. Toropin, A. M. Touchard, S. N. Tovey, M. T. Tran, E. Tsesmelis, J. Ulrichs, L. Vacavant, M. Valdata-Nappi, V. Valuev, F. Vannucci, K. E. Varvell, M. Veltri, V. Vercesi, D. Verkindt, J. M. Vieira, T. Vinogradova, S. A. Volkov, F. V. Weber, T. Weisse, F. F. Wilson, L. J. Winton, B. D. Yabsley, H. Zaccone, K. Zioutas, K. Zuber, P. Zuccon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We carried out a model-independent search for light scalar or pseudoscalar particles a's (an example of which is the axion) that couple to two photons by using a photon-regeneration method at high energies allowing a substantial increase in the sensitivity to eV masses. The experimental set-up is based on elements of the CERN West Area Neutrino Facility (WANF) beam line and the NOMAD neutrino detector. The new particles, if they exist, could be produced through the Primakoff effect in interactions of high energy photons, generated by the 450 GeV protons in the CERN SPS neutrino target, with virtual photons from the WANF horn magnetic field. The particles would penetrate the downstream shielding and would be observed in the NOMAD neutrino detector through their re-conversion into real high energy photons by interacting with the virtual photons from the magnetic field of the NOMAD dipole magnet. From the analysis of the data collected during the 1996 run with 1.08 x 1019 protons on target, 312 candidate events with energy between 5 and 140 GeV were found. This number is in general agreement with the expectation of 272 ± 18 background events from standard neutrino processes. A 90 % CL upper limit on the aγγ-coupling g(aγγ) < 1.5 x 10-4 GeV-1 for a masses up to 40 eV is obtained. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)371-380
Number of pages10
JournalPhysics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume479
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 27 2000
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Light (pseudo)scalars
  • Photon-regeneration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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