A search for additional evidence for the rare kaon decay K^+ --> pi^+ nu nubar has been made with a new data set comparable in sensitivity to the previous exposure that produced a single event.
The first search for the decay K^+ -> pi^+ pi^0 nu nubar has been performed with the E787 detector at BNL. Based on zero events observed in the kinematical search region defined by 90 MeV/c < P_{pi^+} < 188 MeV/c and 135 MeV < E_{pi^0} < 180 MeV, an
upper limit B(K^+ -> pi^+ pi^0 nu nubar) < 4.3 x 10^{-5} at 90% confidence level is established.
The results and goals of experiments E787, E949, CKM and KOPIO on the measurement of the branching fractions of K+ -> pi+,nu,nubar and K0L -> pi0,nu,nubar are presented.
Three events for the decay K+ => pi+,nu,nubar have been observed in the pion momentum region below the K+ => pi+,pi0 peak, 140 < P_pi < 199 MeV/c, with an estimated background of 0.93+-0.17(stat.)+0.32-0.24(syst.) events. Combining this observation w
ith previously reported results yields a branching ratio of B(K+ => pi+,nu,nubar) = (1.73+1.15-1.05)e-10 consistent with the standard model prediction.
Experiment E949 at Brookhaven National Laboratory has observed three new events consistent with the decay K+ => pi+,nu,nubar in the pion momentum region 140 < P_pi < 199 MeV/c in an exposure of 1.71e12 stopped kaons with an estimated total background
of 0.93+-0.17(stat.)+0.32-0.24(syst.) events. This brings the total number of observed K+ => pi+,nu,nubar events to seven. Combining this observation with previous results, assuming the pion spectrum predicted by the standard model, results in a branching ratio of (1.73+1.15-1.05)e-10. An interpretation of the results for alternative models of the decay K^ => pi+,nothing is also presented.
Weakly interacting K --> pi X^0 emission with m_{X^0} simeq m_{pi^0} is out of sight of the current K^+ --> pi^+ nu nubar study, but it can be sensed by the K_L --> pi^0 nu nubar search. This evades the usual Grossman-Nir bound of B(K_L --> pi^0 nu n
ubar) < 1.4 x 10^-9, thus the KOTO experiment is already starting to probe New Physics. An intriguing possibility is the Z gauge boson of a weak leptonic force that couples to L_mu - L_tau (the difference between the muon and tauon numbers), which may explain the long-standing muon g-2 anomaly, but is constrained by nu_mu N --> nu_mu N mu^+ mu^- scattering to m_{Z} lesssim 400 MeV. An explicit model for K --> pi Z is given, which illustrates the link between rare kaon and B --> K mu^+ mu^-, K^{(*)} nu nubar decays. Complementary to these searches and future lepton experiments, the LHC might discover the scalar boson phi responsible for light m_{Z} generation via phi --> Z Z --> 2(mu^+ mu^-).