Search for Lepton and Baryon Number Violating tau^- Decays into \bar{p}gamma, \bar{p}pi^0, \bar{Lambda}pi^-, and Lambda pi^-

Abstract

We have searched for decays that violate both lepton and baryon number using data collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. No signals are found in tau^- -> \bar{p} gamma, tau^- -> \bar{p} pi^0, tau^- -> \bar{Lambda} pi^-, and tau^- -> Lambda pi^- and we set upper limits on the branching fractions of B(tau^- -> \bar{p}gamma) < 3.0*10^{-7}, B(tau^- -> \bar{p}pi^0) < 6.5*10^{-7}, B(tau^- -> \bar{Lambda}pi^-) < 1.3*10^{-7}, and B(tau^- -> Lambda pi^-) < 0.70*10^{-7} at the 90% confidence level. The former two results improve the previous limits by a factor of 12 and 23, respectively, while the latter two are the first searches ever performed.