We have performed a search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decays B -> πl(+)l(-), where l(+)l(-) is either e(+)e(-) or μ(+)μ(-), using a sample of 230x10(6) Υ(4S)-->B[overline B] decays collected with the BABAR detector. We observe no evidence of a signal and measure the upper limit on the isospin-averaged branching fraction to be B(B -> πl(+)l(-)) πe(±)mu(±) and measure an upper limit on the isospin-averaged branching fraction of B(B-->πe(±)mu(±)) < 9.2 x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level.

This work is supported by DOE and NSF (U.S.A.), NSERC (Canada), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF and DFG (Germany), INFN (Italy), FOM (The Netherlands), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), MEC (Spain), and STFC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the Marie Curie EIF (European Union) and the A. P. Sloan Foundation.

7 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables.-- PACS nrs.: 13.20.He.-- ISI Article Identifier: 000248597500008.-- et al.(BABAR Collaboration).-- ArXiv pre-print available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ex/0703018

Peer reviewed