Search for eta and eta ' -> pi(+)e(-)(v)over-bar(e) + c.c. decays in J/psi -> phi eta and phi eta '

Using a sample of 225.3 million J/psi events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII e(+)e(-) collider in 2009, searches for the decays of eta and eta' -> pi(+)e(-)(v) over bar (e) + c.c. in J/psi -> phi eta and phi eta' are performed. The phi signals, which are reconstructed in K+K- final states, are used to tag eta and eta' semileptonic decays. No signals are observed for either eta or eta', and upper limits at the 90% confidence level are determined to be 7.3 x 10(-4) and 5.0 x 10(-4) for the ratios B(eta ->pi(+)e(-)(v) over bar (e) + c.c)/B(eta ->pi(+)pi(-)pi(0)) and B(eta'->pi(+)e(-)(v) over bar (e) + c.c)/B(eta'->pi(+)pi(-)eta) respectively. These are the first upper- limit values determined for eta and eta' semileptonic weak decays. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.032006