# 𝐾⁺→𝜋⁺⁢𝜇⁺⁢𝜇⁻ IN E865 AT BNL

## Introduction and Theoretical Background

The primary interest of E865 is the forbidden decay $`K^+\pi ^+\mu ^+e^{}`$. Results from two independent analyses  have yielded a limit of 2 $`\times 10^{10}`$ for a preliminary 1995 data set, data from 1996 and 1998 has a statistical reach of order $`10^{11}`$. However, an important by-product of this experiment has been that E865 has significantly increased world sample sizes for several other $`K^+`$ decay modes with 3 charged particles in the final state. (Final states containing a $`\pi ^0`$ are included, since the $`\pi ^0`$ is detected through $`\pi ^0\gamma e^+e^{}`$). A detailed understanding of the K decays, among them $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ and $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$, tests models of the weak interaction and low energy QCD.

The focus of this paper is a new measurement of the branching fraction for $`K^+\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$. The previous best measurement, from E787 , based on a small number of fully reconstructed events and about 200 partially reconstructed events, is $`(5.0\pm 1.0)\times 10^8`$; they did not make a form factor measurement, because of limited acceptance and incomplete event information. With specific assumptions about the form of the interaction (typically, vector, with a linear q<sup>2</sup> dependence, as in Ke3), the expected $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}/\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ ratio can be calculated from the E865 results, and from theory, and compared with the experimental observation. For the $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ we use the most precise results, a branching fraction of $`(2.82\pm 0.04\pm 0.15)10^7`$ and $`\lambda `$ of $`0.182\pm 0.01\pm 0.007`$, based on our 10000 events .

Short distance contributions  to $`K\pi \mathrm{𝑙𝑙}`$ are only of order $`10^9`$. Long distance contributions  come close to the observed $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ rate and give a $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ to $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ ratio of about 0.22-0.24. Vector and a1 meson dominance  is an example of a simple model with a parameter free prediction for the branching fractions but small form factor dependence on $`q^2`$, similar to Ke3. Chiral Perturbation theory parameters allow a range of predictions for the form factor. In $`O(p^4)`$ , the form factor and its $`q^2`$ dependence are tightly correlated with the branching ratio. Using an $`O(p^6)`$ calculation of an explicit ”pion loop term”  with a polynomial of the expected Chiral Perturbation behavior at $`O(p^6)`$ gives additional parameters and flexibility.

The E787 $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}/\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ ratio, $`0.18\pm 0.04`$, is about 1.5 $`\sigma `$ below predictions.

## Experimental Apparatus

E865 at BNL  is a magnetic spectrometer illuminated by an intense unseparated 6 GeV/c beam, of $`10^8K^+`$ and $`2\times 10^9\pi ^+`$ per 1.6 sec AGS pulse. Momentum measured in the spectrometer is compared with energy deposit in the 600 module 15 r.l. deep ”Shashlik” calorimeter. Electron and positron identification is done by two threshold Cerenkov counters with $`H_2`$ on the left (primarily negative particles) and $`CH_4`$ on the right (primarily positive particles). A 24 plane proportional tube - iron plate range stack identifies muons. The $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ data were taken parasitically in 1995 and 1996, and $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ data in a 1997 reduced intensity run.

## Event Selection and Analysis

The $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ events are normalized to the $`\pi ^+\pi ^+\pi ^{}`$ final state, with similar kinematics. The trigger for all modes  requires three particles in a kinematically plausible configuration in hodoscope counters and the calorimeter. The analysis required: a good reconstructed vertex; reasonable vector momentum; and two electrons or two muons, one negatively charged on the left and one positively charged on the right. For the $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ events, Cerenkov counter light is required both in the trigger and in the analysis; and for the $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ events, muon chamber signals were. Cuts in track chisquare help eliminate the primary background for the $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ events, secondary decays ($`\pi \mu \nu `$) from $`K^+\pi ^+\pi ^+\pi ^{}`$ .

The information described qualitatively above was combined quantitatively into an ”event likelihood”. The stability of the branching fraction as a function of event likelihood is shown in the plot on the left in Figure 1, where the quantity R (proportional to the branching fraction) is plotted against the event likelihood cut. R is defined as: $`r_\mu /r_{3\pi }`$ where $`r_{\mu (or3\pi )}=Ndata_{\mu (or3\pi )}/Nmc_{mu(or3\pi )}`$ and Ndata and Nmc are respectively the accepted data (simulated) events. While R is relatively stable, the number of signal events (not shown because of space constraints) drops from 700 to 200 as the event likelihood moves from -19 to -10. This drop in signal is accompanied by a drop in background to signal from $`40\%`$ to $`2\%`$ , reflecting the large admixture of background at the large negative value of the event likehood, and loss of signal as the event likelihood approaches -10. For our final result, we use an event likelihood cut of -13, which gives $``$ 400 signal events.

The effective mass of the $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ final state is shown in the right hand side of Figure 1. Background from $`K^+\pi ^+\pi ^+\pi ^{}`$, with two pions decaying to muons, is shown by the dark-shaded curve at low effective masses.

The systematic error is estimated as $`7\%`$, dominated by $`3\%`$ from selection criteria and background subtraction, and $`4\%`$ from normalization uncertainties.

## Results and Discussion

The $`\mu \mu `$ effective mass distribution ($`q^2`$) and the $`\mathrm{cos}\theta _{\pi \mu ^+}`$ distribution (where $`\theta _{\pi \mu ^+}`$ is the angle between the $`\pi ^+`$ and $`\mu ^+`$ in the $`\mu \mu `$ center of mass frame) are not shown but are consistent with a vector interaction in the decay, with a form factor $`0.2`$, as seen in the $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$ events . Fit contours for the branching fraction and $`\lambda `$ (the form factor $`q^2`$ dependence) are shown in Figure 2, assuming a linear $`q^2`$ dependence as in Ke3.

The $`\pi ^+\mu ^+\mu ^{}`$ branching fraction and $`\lambda `$ are larger than expected in a simple meson dominance model but agree with expectations from $`\pi ^+e^+e^{}`$. Our present understanding is that our $`\pi ll`$ data (branching ratios, and q<sup>2</sup> dependence, taken together, Ref.  and from this paper) are inconsistent with Chiral Perturbation theory at $`O(p^4)`$ , but, due to the additional parameters available, are consistent with an O($`p^6`$) calculation . Detailed systematic studies and comparison with Chiral Perturbation theory are in progress.

## Acknowledgments

We thank our home country research institutes for financial support. The experiment would not have been possible without the valiant and sustained efforts of the AGS machine operators and technical support crew. The Pitt group owes a large debt of gratitude to high school teacher Ivan Ober and many students who helped in design, construction and commissioning of the Cerenkov counters, especially Elizabeth Battiste, Rebecca Chapman, Amy Freedman, Tuan Lu, Cindy Miller, Melinda Nickelson, Tim Stever, Paula Pomianowski, and Craig Valine.

## References