Search for Sub-GeV Dark Particles in η →π0+Invisible Decay

The BESIII collaboration

doi:10.1103/lbj8-qqm6

Search for Sub-GeV Dark Particles in η →π0+Invisible Decay

The BESIII collaboration

Institute of Higher Research

CAS - Institute of High Energy Physics
Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the RAS
Novosibirsk State University
Uppsala University
Zhengzhou University
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
University of Turin
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Science and Technology of China
Southeast University, Nanjing
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
Peking University
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
National Centre for Nuclear Research
Mongolian Academy of Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Münster
Wuhan University
Lanzhou University
Istinye University
Nankai University
China University of Geosciences, Wuhan
Soochow University
Henan University
Nanjing University
Tsinghua University
CAS - Institute of Modern Physics
Fudan University
Guangxi University of Technology
Sun Yat-Sen University
North China Electric Power University
Chung-Ang University
Ruhr University Bochum
University of Bristol
Yunnan University
Helmholtz Institute Mainz
University of South China
Liaoning University
Inner Mongolia University
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Henan Normal University
University of Eastern Piedmont
University of Ferrara
University of Manchester
University of Oxford
GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
Jilin University
Shandong University of Technology
Nanjing Normal University
Shandong University
Shandong Normal University
Indiana University Bloomington
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
Suranaree University of Technology
South China Normal University
University of the Punjab
Huangshan College
University of Jinan
University of Groningen
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Qufu Normal University
Renmin University of China
Hebei University
Hunan University
China Center of Advanced Science and Technology World Laboratory
Sichuan University
Guangxi Normal University
Liaoning Normal University
Shanxi University
Central China Normal University
Guangxi University
Henan University of Science and Technology
Henan University of Technology
Central South University
Zhejiang University
Goethe University Frankfurt
Institute of Business Administration Karachi
Bogazici University
University of Perugia
Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI)
Hunan Normal University
Hangzhou Normal University
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China
Near East University
Southwest University of Science and Technology
Beihang University
Yantai University
Hengyang Normal University
Shanxi Normal University
University of Science and Technology Liaoning

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Using (10087±44)×106 J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at the center-of-mass energy of s=3.097 GeV, we report the first search for η→π0S→π0χχ¯ with S denoting an on-shell dark scalar boson and χ an invisible dark matter particle. No significant signals are observed with S mass ranging from 0 to 400 MeV/c2. The upper limits on the branching fractions and the new physics coupling strengths between S and quarks are set to be (1.8-5.5)×10-5 and (1.3-3.2)×10-5 at the 90% confidence level, respectively. The constraints on the dark-matter-nucleon scattering cross section is improved by approximately five orders of magnitude over previous dark-matter-nucleon scattering experiments, providing unique insights into sub-GeV dark matter.

Original language	English
Article number	031804
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	137
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/lbj8-qqm6
State	Published - 17 Jul 2026

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10.1103/lbj8-qqm6

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@article{e493e1668be44cc4b77416906a8b3f8e,

title = "Search for Sub-GeV Dark Particles in η →π0+Invisible Decay",

abstract = "Using (10087±44){\texttimes}106 J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at the center-of-mass energy of s=3.097 GeV, we report the first search for η→π0S→π0χχ¯ with S denoting an on-shell dark scalar boson and χ an invisible dark matter particle. No significant signals are observed with S mass ranging from 0 to 400 MeV/c2. The upper limits on the branching fractions and the new physics coupling strengths between S and quarks are set to be (1.8-5.5){\texttimes}10-5 and (1.3-3.2){\texttimes}10-5 at the 90\% confidence level, respectively. The constraints on the dark-matter-nucleon scattering cross section is improved by approximately five orders of magnitude over previous dark-matter-nucleon scattering experiments, providing unique insights into sub-GeV dark matter.",

author = "M. Ablikim and Achasov, \{M. N.\} and P. Adlarson and Ai, \{X. C.\} and S. Kabana and \{The BESIII collaboration\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the {"}https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/{"}Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP",

year = "2026",

month = jul,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1103/lbj8-qqm6",

language = "English",

volume = "137",

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T1 - Search for Sub-GeV Dark Particles in η →π0+Invisible Decay

AU - Ablikim, M.

AU - Achasov, M. N.

AU - Adlarson, P.

AU - Ai, X. C.

AU - Kabana, S.

AU - The BESIII collaboration

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP

PY - 2026/7/17

Y1 - 2026/7/17

N2 - Using (10087±44)×106 J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at the center-of-mass energy of s=3.097 GeV, we report the first search for η→π0S→π0χχ¯ with S denoting an on-shell dark scalar boson and χ an invisible dark matter particle. No significant signals are observed with S mass ranging from 0 to 400 MeV/c2. The upper limits on the branching fractions and the new physics coupling strengths between S and quarks are set to be (1.8-5.5)×10-5 and (1.3-3.2)×10-5 at the 90% confidence level, respectively. The constraints on the dark-matter-nucleon scattering cross section is improved by approximately five orders of magnitude over previous dark-matter-nucleon scattering experiments, providing unique insights into sub-GeV dark matter.

AB - Using (10087±44)×106 J/ψ events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at the center-of-mass energy of s=3.097 GeV, we report the first search for η→π0S→π0χχ¯ with S denoting an on-shell dark scalar boson and χ an invisible dark matter particle. No significant signals are observed with S mass ranging from 0 to 400 MeV/c2. The upper limits on the branching fractions and the new physics coupling strengths between S and quarks are set to be (1.8-5.5)×10-5 and (1.3-3.2)×10-5 at the 90% confidence level, respectively. The constraints on the dark-matter-nucleon scattering cross section is improved by approximately five orders of magnitude over previous dark-matter-nucleon scattering experiments, providing unique insights into sub-GeV dark matter.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105045978935

U2 - 10.1103/lbj8-qqm6

DO - 10.1103/lbj8-qqm6

M3 - Article

C2 - 42537112

AN - SCOPUS:105045978935

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 137

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 3

M1 - 031804

ER -

Search for Sub-GeV Dark Particles in η →π0+Invisible Decay

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