Search for X17 by Neutron Induced Reactions: A New Physics Beyond the Standard Model?

Abstract

We present the state-of-art activity of n_TOF Collaboration Working Group dedicated to study how to solve the puzzle about the existence of the so called new particle X17, spotted for the first time few years ago by a team at ATOMKI in Hungary and since then never confirmed by other independent experimental collaborations but also never refuted. An “ad hoc” detection set-up is under realization for this goal, in order to reach an angular resolution of the two emerging trajectories from the X17 decay and an energy resolution for the invariant mass reconstruction enough to cast light in a definitive way about this puzzle. To design the present detection setup we work in close contact with the Pisa Nuclear Theory team, that has deeply studied the implication of X17 existence and extracted by the ATOMKI results its eventual nature, kinematics and general properties.