Work

Baryon-number-violating nucleon decays in SMEFT extended with a light scalar

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: A bstract New light particles have received considerable attention in recent years. Baryon-number-violating (BNV) nucleon decays involving such light particles are able to provide stringent constraints. They exhibit distinctive experimental signatures that merit thorough investigation. We systematically investigate BNV nucleon decay with a light scalar in an effective field theory framework. Within this framework, we set stringent bounds on BNV operators using available experimental data and predict the occurrence of several BNV three-body nucleon decays. We further study contributions to dinucleon to dilepton transitions in a nucleus mediated by the scalar, which complements single nucleon decay. Finally, we provide three ultraviolet-complete models that can generate different subsets of BNV operators in leading order. Our theoretical framework will facilitate experimental searches for those exotic nucleon decays.

Source: Journal of High Energy Physics

DOI: 10.1007/jhep02(2026)175

Authors: Xiao-Dong Ma, Michael A. Schmidt, Weihang Zhang

Institutions: South China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Guangdong Province, UNSW Sydney

Language: English

Topic: Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Australian Government, University of New South Wales, National Natural Science Foundation of China

Award: G8326474036