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Abstract The Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter serves as a particle identification device in the forward end-cap region of the Belle II spectrometer. It is capable of identifying pions and kaons with momenta up to $4\\>$GeV$\\>$c$^{-1}$ by detecting Cherenkov photons emitted in the silica aerogel radiator. After the detector alignment and calibration of the probability density function, we evaluate the performance of the ARICH counter using early beam collision data. Event samples of $D^{\\ast +} \\to D^0 \\pi^+ (D^0 \\to K^-\\pi^+)$ were used to determine the $\\pi(K)$ efficiency and the $K(\\pi)$ misidentification probability. We found that the ARICH counter is capable of separating kaons from pions with an identification efficiency of $93.5 \\pm 0.6 \\, \\%$ at a pion misidentification probability of $10.9 \\pm 0.9 \\, \\%$. This paper describes the identification method of the counter and the evaluation of the performance during its early operation.

We have developed a new type of particle identification device, called an aerogel ring imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter, for the Belle II experiment. It uses silica aerogel tiles as Cherenkov radiators. For detection of Cherenkov photons, hybrid avalanche photo-detectors (HAPDs) are used. The designed HAPD has a high sensitivity to single photons under a strong magnetic field. We have confirmed that the HAPD provides high efficiency for single-photon detection even after exposure to neutron and $\\gamma $-ray radiation that exceeds the levels expected in the 10-year Belle II operation. In order to confirm the basic performance of the ARICH counter system, we carried out a beam test at the using a prototype of the ARICH counter with six HAPD modules. The results are in agreement with our expectations and confirm the suitability of the ARICH counter for the Belle II experiment. Based on the in-beam performance of the device, we expect that the identification efficiency at $3.5\\,{\\rm GeV}/c$ is 97.4% and 4.9% for pions and kaons, respectively. This paper summarizes the development of the HAPD for the ARICH and the evaluation of the performance of the prototype ARICH counter built with the final design components.

A bstract We present measurements of the branching fractions for the decays B → Kμ + μ − and B → Ke + e − , and their ratio ( R K ), using a data sample of 711 fb − 1 that contains 772 × 10 6 B B ¯ events. The data were collected at the ϒ(4 S ) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider. The ratio R K is measured in five bins of dilepton invariant-mass-squared ( q 2 ): q 2 ∈ (0 . 1 , 4 . 0) , (4 . 00 , 8 . 12) , (1 . 0 , 6 . 0), (10 . 2 , 12 . 8) and ( > 14 . 18) GeV 2 /c 4 , along with the whole q 2 region. The R K value for q 2 ∈ (1 . 0 , 6 . 0) GeV 2 /c 4 is 1.03 − 0.24 + 0.28 ± 0 . 01. The first and second uncertainties listed are statistical and systematic, respectively. All results for R K are consistent with Standard Model predictions. We also measure CP -averaged isospin asymmetries in the same q 2 bins. The results are consistent with a null asymmetry, with the largest difference of 2.6 standard deviations occurring for the q 2 ∈ (1 . 0 , 6 . 0) GeV 2 /c 4 bin in the mode with muon final states. The measured differential branching fractions, d ℬ /dq 2 , are consistent with theoretical predictions for charged B decays, while the corresponding values are below the expectations for neutral B decays. We have also searched for lepton-flavor-violating B → Kμ ± e ∓ decays and set 90% confidence-level upper limits on the branching fraction in the range of 10 − 8 for B + → K + μ ± e ∓ , and B 0 → K 0 μ ± e ∓ modes.

A bstract Charged lepton flavor violation is forbidden in the Standard Model but possible in several new physics scenarios. In many of these models, the radiative decays τ ± → ℓ ± γ ( ℓ = e, μ ) are predicted to have a sizeable probability, making them particularly interesting channels to search at various experiments. An updated search via τ ± → ℓ ± γ using full data of the Belle experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 988 fb − 1 , is reported for charged lepton flavor violation. No significant excess over background predictions from the Standard Model is observed, and the upper limits on the branching fractions, B ( τ ± → μ ± γ ) ≤ 4 . 2 × 10 − 8 and B ( τ ± → e ± γ ) ≤ 5 . 6 × 10 − 8 , are set at 90% confidence level.

A bstract We report a new measurement of the e + e − → ϒ( nS ) π + π − ( n = 1 , 2 , 3) cross sections at energies from 10 . 52 to 11 . 02 GeV using data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider. We observe a new structure in the energy dependence of the cross sections; if described by a Breit-Wigner function its mass and width are found to be M = 10752.7 ± 5.9 − 1.1 + 0.7 MeV / c 2 and Γ = 35.5 − 11.3 − 3.3 + 17.6 + 3.9 MeV, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. The global significance of the new structure including systematic uncertainty is 5.2 standard deviations. We also find evidence for the e + e − → ϒ (1 S ) π + π − process at the energy 10 . 52 GeV, which is below the B B ¯ threshold.

A bstract We report a measurement of the electric dipole moment of the τ lepton ( dτ ) using an 833 fb − 1 data sample collected near the Υ(4 S ) resonance, with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider. Using an optimal observable method, we obtain the real and imaginary parts of d τ as Re( d τ ) = ( − 0 . 62 ± 0 . 63) × 10 − 17 e cm and Im( d τ ) = ( − 0 . 40 ± 0 . 32) × 10 − 17 e cm, respectively. These results are consistent with null electric dipole moment at the present level of experimental sensitivity and improve the sensitivity by about a factor of three.

A bstract Charged-lepton-flavor-violation is predicted in several new physics scenarios. We update the analysis of τ lepton decays into a light charged lepton ( ℓ = e ± or μ ± ) and a vector meson ( V 0 = ρ 0 , ϕ , ω , K *0 , or K ¯ *0 ) using 980 fb − 1 of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB collider. No significant excess of such signal events is observed, and thus 90% credibility level upper limits are set on the τ → ℓV 0 branching fractions in the range of (1.7–4 . 3) × 10 − 8 . These limits are improved by 30% on average from the previous results.

A bstract We present a measurement of the ratio R μ = B τ − → μ − ν ¯ μ ν τ / B τ − → e − ν ¯ e ν τ of branching fractions B of the τ lepton decaying to muons or electrons using data collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB e + e − collider. The sample has an integrated luminosity of 362 ± 2 fb − 1 at a centre-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV. Using an optimised event selection, a binned maximum likelihood fit is performed using the momentum spectra of the electron and muon candidates. The result, R μ = 0.9675 ± 0.0007 ± 0.0036, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, is the most precise to date. It provides a stringent test of the light-lepton universality, translating to a ratio of the couplings of the muon and electron to the W boson in τ decays of 0.9974 ± 0.0019, in agreement with the standard model expectation of unity.

A bstract We report a search for the lepton-flavor-violating decays τ ± → ℓ ± α ( ℓ = e , μ ), where α is an undetected spin-0 particle, such as an axion-like particle using 736 × 10 6 tau lepton pairs collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider. We find no evidence of signal and obtain the most stringent upper limits on the branching fractions at 95% confidence level: ( τ ± → e ± α ) < (0.4–6.4) × 10 − 4 and ( τ ± → μ ± α ) < (0.2–3.5) × 10 − 4 at 95% confidence level for an α mass in the range 0.0 ≤ m α ≤ 1.6 GeV/ c 2 .

A bstract We report a determination of the CKM angle ϕ 3 , also known as γ , from a combination of measurements using samples of up to 711 fb − 1 from the Belle experiment and up to 362 fb − 1 from the Belle II experiment. We combine results from analyses of B + → DK + , B + → Dπ + , and B + → D * K + decays, where D is an admixture of D 0 and D ¯ 0 mesons, in a likelihood fit to obtain ϕ 3 = (75.2 ± 7.6) ° . We also briefly discuss the interpretation of this result.