Search for an exotic three-body decay of orthopositronium o-Ps γ + X1 + X2
We carried out a model independent search for an exotic three-body decay of orthopositronium o-Ps [Formula: see text] γ + X1 + X2 into a photon and two weak interacting particles X1 and X2. The existence of this decay could explain the discrepancy between the measured and the predicted values of the orthopositronium-decay rate in vacuum. Our result excludes this decay mode as the origin of the discrepancy and an upper limit on the branching ratio has been set B(o-Ps [Formula: see text] γ + X1 + X2) < 4.4 x 105 (at the 90% confidence level), for the photon energy in the range from 40 < Eγ < 400 keV and for the weak interacting particles X mass range 0 [Formula: see text] mX1 + mX2 [Formula: see text] 900 keV. PACS No.: 36.10Dr