Physicists spot rare decay of exotic particle, opening window into fundamental forces
Researchers detected the first hint of an exotic particle decaying into light and another particle—a process so rare it could reveal new physics beyond current models. The finding, though preliminary, matters because understanding these decay pathways helps physicists refine theories that underpin quantum computing and materials science research.
Originaltitel: Search for the radiative decay D<sup>+</sup><sub>s</sub> → γρ(770)<sup>+</sup>
<p>Using 7.33 fb<sup>−1</sup> of e<sup>+</sup>e<sup>−</sup> collision data samples collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies between 4.128 and 4.226 GeV, we search for the radiative decay D<sup>+</sup><sub>s</sub> → γρ(770)<sup>+</sup> for the first time. A hint of D<sup>+</sup><sub>s</sub> → γρ(770)<sup>+</sup> is observed with a statistical significance of 2.5σ. The branching fraction of D<sup>+</sup><sub>s</sub> → γρ(770)<sup>+</sup> is measured to be (2.2 ± 0.9<sub>stat</sub>. ± 0.2<sub>syst.</sub>) × 10<sup>−4</sup>, corresponding to an upper limit of 6.1 × 10<sup>−4</sup> at the 90% confidence level.</p>