Search for the dark photon in B 0 → A ′ A ′, A ′ → e + e − , μ + μ − , and π + π − decays at Belle

We present a search for the dark photon A′ in the B0 → A′A′ decays, where A′ subsequently decays to e+e−, μ+μ−, and π+π−. The search is performed by analyzing 772 × 106 $$ B\overline{B} $$ events collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e− energy-asymmetric collider at the ϒ(4S) resonance. No signal is found in the dark photon mass range 0.01 GeV/c2 ≤ mA′ ≤ 2.62 GeV/c2, and we set upper limits of the branching fraction of B0 → A′A′ at the 90% confidence level. The products of branching fractions, $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({B}^0\to A^{\prime }A^{\prime}\right)\times \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}{\left(A\prime \to {e}^{+}{e}^{-}\right)}^2 $$ and $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({B}^0\to A^{\prime }A^{\prime}\right)\times \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}{\left(A\prime \to {\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\right)}^2 $$ , have limits of the order of 10−8 depending on the A′ mass. Furthermore, considering A′ decay rate to each pair of charged particles, the upper limits of $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({B}^0\to A^{\prime }A^{\prime}\right) $$ are of the order of 10−8–10−5. From the upper limits of $$ \mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({B}^0\to A^{\prime }A^{\prime}\right) $$ , we obtain the Higgs portal coupling for each assumed dark photon and dark Higgs mass. The Higgs portal couplings are of the order of 10−2–10−1 at $$ {m}_{h\prime}\simeq {m}_{B^0} $$ ± 40 MeV/c2 and 10−1–1 at $$ {m}_{h\prime}\simeq {m}_{B^0} $$ ± 3 GeV/c2.