Search for narrow sum-energy lines in electron-positron pair emission from heavy-ion collisions near the Coulomb barrier

The first results are presented from a new experiment, APEX, designed to study the previously reported sharp lines in sum-energy spectra of positrons and electrons produced in collisions of very heavy ions. Data were collected for {sup 238}U+{sup 181}Ta at 5.95, 6.10, and 6.30 MeV/u and {sup 238}U+{sup 232}Th at 5.95 MeV/u. In none of our analyses is any evidence found for sharp sum-energy lines. For the specific case of the isolated decay of a neutral particle of mass 1.4--2.1 MeV/{ital c}{sup 2}, the upper limits on cross sections obtained from the present data are significantly less than the previously reported cross sections.