Can $\mu$--$e$ Conversion in Nuclei be a Good Probe for Lepton-Number Violating Higgs Couplings ?

Abstract

Motivated by the improving sensitivity, $R$, of experiments on $\mu Ti\to eTi$ and the enhanced Higgs nucleon interaction, we study this lepton number violating process induced by Higgs exchange. Taking the possible sensitivity, $R\simeq 10^{-16}$, we obtain the constraint on the Higgs-muon-electron vertex, ${\kappa }_{\mu e}$, to be less than $2.4\times 10^{-7}$ if the masses of the Higgs scalar and $W$ gauge boson are the same. ${\kappa }_{\mu e}$ is also calculated for some models.

Comments: 11 pages(revtex 3), TRI-PP-93-72