Experimental Limits on the Nucleon Lifetime for Two- and Three-Body Decay Modes

198549 citationsJournal Article

Authors

H. S. Park · University of California, Irvine

Geoffrey Blewitt · University of California, Irvine

B. G. Cortez · University of California, Irvine

G. W. Foster · University of California, Irvine

W. Gajewski · University of California, Irvine

T. J. Haines · University of California, Irvine

D. Kiełczewska

Abstract

Lower limits in the range of ${10}^{31}$ to ${10}^{32}$ yr for the partial lifetimes of a number of nucleon decay modes are obtained from a 204-live-day exposure in an 8-ktonne water Cherenkov detector (3.3 ktonne in the fiducial volume). During this period 169 contained events were observed at a rate and with characteristics consistent with expected backgrounds from atomospheric $\ensuremath{\nu}$ interactions. Nine of the contained events are compatible with either a $\ensuremath{\nu}$ interaction or nucleon decay into a number of non-$\ensuremath{\nu}$ modes.

Topics & Keywords

Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies Neutrino Physics Research Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Clean water and sanitation

Publication Details

Published in: Physical Review Letters

Volume 54, Issue 1, pp. 22-25

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.54.22

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 17.52