Probing a Light Scalar Boson with a few-MeV Proton Beam Deep Underground

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Main Authors: Broggini, Carlo, Di Carlo, Giuseppe, Di Luzio, Luca, Piatti, Denise, Toni, Claudio
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Broggini, Carlo
Di Carlo, Giuseppe
Di Luzio, Luca
Piatti, Denise
Toni, Claudio
author_facet Broggini, Carlo
Di Carlo, Giuseppe
Di Luzio, Luca
Piatti, Denise
Toni, Claudio
contents We propose to investigate the production of a light scalar boson $ϕ$ in low-energy proton-nucleus interactions using the 3.5 MV accelerator of the Bellotti Ion Beam Facility, located in the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory. Nuclear reactions induced by a few-MeV proton beam on suitable target materials can act as a controlled source of $ϕ$ particles. Owing to the deep-underground location, the facility benefits from substantial cosmic-ray shielding, enabling searches for rare processes with minimal background. The produced $ϕ$ particles will be sought with large-volume, low-background detectors already operating or currently under construction at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory. This approach combines a tunable accelerator-based production mechanism with the exceptional sensitivity of underground rare-event searches, offering a novel avenue to probe light scalar bosons beyond the Standard Model.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_03486
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Probing a Light Scalar Boson with a few-MeV Proton Beam Deep Underground
Broggini, Carlo
Di Carlo, Giuseppe
Di Luzio, Luca
Piatti, Denise
Toni, Claudio
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Nuclear Experiment
We propose to investigate the production of a light scalar boson $ϕ$ in low-energy proton-nucleus interactions using the 3.5 MV accelerator of the Bellotti Ion Beam Facility, located in the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory. Nuclear reactions induced by a few-MeV proton beam on suitable target materials can act as a controlled source of $ϕ$ particles. Owing to the deep-underground location, the facility benefits from substantial cosmic-ray shielding, enabling searches for rare processes with minimal background. The produced $ϕ$ particles will be sought with large-volume, low-background detectors already operating or currently under construction at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory. This approach combines a tunable accelerator-based production mechanism with the exceptional sensitivity of underground rare-event searches, offering a novel avenue to probe light scalar bosons beyond the Standard Model.
title Probing a Light Scalar Boson with a few-MeV Proton Beam Deep Underground
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Nuclear Experiment
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.03486