Novel Approach to Investigate ATOMKI Anomaly Using Coherent CAPTAIN-Mills Detectors

ATOMKI nuclear anomaly has suggested a new BSM (beyond the standard model) boson with mass ∼17 MeV emitted from excited nuclei and quickly decays into a pair of e⁺e⁻. In order to search for the new particle, we propose a new approach that utilizes the ongoing coherent CAPTAIN-Mills (CCM) ten-ton LAr (liquid argon) detectors. The neutrons from the Lujan target can scatter inelastically, but the PMT glass in the CCM detector can produce the new boson which solves the ATOMKI anomaly. The new boson can be detected from its decay to a e⁺e⁻ pair. We find that CCM probes a large area of the anomaly-allowable parameter space. We also show the prediction for a 100-ton LAr detector and five-ton EOS water detector.