Search for Proton Decay via {ital p} {r_arrow} {ital e}{sup +}{ital {pi}}{sup 0} in a Large Water Cherenkov Detector

We have searched for proton decay via p{r_arrow}e{sup +}{pi}{sup 0} using data from a 25.5 kton{center_dot}yr exposure of the Super-Kamiokande detector. We find no candidate events with an expected background induced by atmospheric neutrinos of 0.1thinspthinspevents. From these data, we set a lower limit on the partial lifetime of the proton {tau}/B{sub p{r_arrow}e{sup +}{pi}{sup 0}} to be 1.6{times}10{sup 33} years at a 90{percent} confidence level. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society }