Search for the decay KL → 3 γ

Abstract

Data from the NA31 experiment at the CERN SPS have been used for the first search for the decay mode K L → 3 γ. Seven events have been found with an estimated background of 6.7 ± 1.5 events. The corresponding upper limit for the branching ratio is Γ(K L → 3γ) Γ(K L → all) = 2.4 × 10 −7 at the 90% confidence level, assuming a phase-space decay distribution.