image: A computer graphics of a simulated event in which a Z' boson is produced by e+e- collisions, in association with two muons (green line and hits) and decays into invisible particles. In this figure, the Z' boson decays into an invisible neutrino and anti-neutrino, but it may decays also into the dark matter particle and its anti-particle. view more
Credit: KEK / Belle II Collaboration
At the SuperKEKB Collider, scientists have performed the first searches of invisibly decaying low mass boson particles. The results come from the Belle II experiment--an experiment mainly dedicated to studying B mesons, which are rare, unstable particles composed by a beauty quark and other lighter quarks. Belle II creates B mesons by colliding electrons and positrons, but those same collisions can produce other particles. Now, researchers have searched for low mass Z' bosons, hypothetical new particles that could connect ordinary and dark matter. Investigating invisible decays might allow scientists to identify unexpected physical phenomena and potentially develop new physical principles to improve their understanding of the universe.
De Pietro et al.
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Journal
Physical Review Letters