K Long to PiO nu nubar Detector R and D

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal requests support for Research and Development on several experimental devices with the goal of measuring the branching ratio of the rare KoL decay into po n n-bar. This decay occurs through a CP (charge conjugation x parity) violating interaction, and knowledge of its rate will complement the worldwide research effort to observe CP violation through decay of B mesons. In particular, a difference between the CP violating parameters in B decay and those in K decay would indicate CP violation outside the Standard Model of particle physics. Such a difference would be a natural consequence of many of the formulations that extend the clearly incomplete Standard Model and of the matter-antimatter asymmetry observed in our Universe. The KOPIO experiment will be mounted at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, using the Alternate Gradient Synchrotron proton accelerator as a driver for a new, extremely intense neutral kaon beam. While neither the beamline components nor the particle detectors are beyond the state of the art in their respective technologies, significant development and detailed design work are required before construction.