JUNO sensitivity on proton decay p → ν K + searches* *We are grateful for the ongoing cooperation from the China General Nuclear Power Group. This study was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Key R&D Program of China, the CAS Center for Excellence in Particle Physics, Wuyi University, and the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute of Shanghai Jiao

Abstract

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a large liquid scintillator detector designed to explore many topics in fundamental physics. In this study, the potential of searching for proton decay in the mode with JUNO is investigated. The kaon and its decay particles feature a clear three-fold coincidence signature that results in a high efficiency for identification. Moreover, the excellent energy resolution of JUNO permits suppression of the sizable background caused by other delayed signals. Based on these advantages, the detection efficiency for the proton decay via is 36.9% ± 4.9% with a background level of events after 10 years of data collection. The estimated sensitivity based on 200 kton-years of exposure is years, which is competitive with the current best limits on the proton lifetime in this channel and complements the use of different detection technologies.