MoEDAL Collaboration(Acharya, B. et al), Bernabeu, J., Garcia, C., King, M., Mitsou, V. A., Vento, V., et al. (2014). The physics programme of the MoEDAL experiment at the LHC. Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, 29(23), 1430050–91pp.
Abstract: The MoEDAL experiment at Point 8 of the LHC ring is the seventh and newest LHC experiment. It is dedicated to the search for highly-ionizing particle avatars of physics beyond the Standard Model, extending significantly the discovery horizon of the LHC. A MoEDAL discovery would have revolutionary implications for our fundamental understanding of the Microcosm. MoEDAL is an unconventional and largely passive LHC detector comprised of the largest array of Nuclear Track Detector stacks ever deployed at an accelerator, surrounding the intersection region at Point 8 on the LHC ring. Another novel feature is the use of paramagnetic trapping volumes to capture both electrically and magnetically charged highly-ionizing particles predicted in new physics scenarios. It includes an array of TimePix pixel devices for monitoring highly-ionizing particle backgrounds. The main passive elements of the MoEDAL detector do not require a trigger system, electronic readout, or online computerized data acquisition. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the MoEDAL physics reach, which is largely complementary to the programs of the large multipurpose LHC detectors ATLAS and CMS.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fassi, F., Ferrer, A., et al. (2014). Search for squarks and gluinos with the ATLAS detector in final states with jets and missing transverse momentum using root s=8 TeV proton-proton collision data. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 176–52pp.
Abstract: A search for squarks and gluinos in final states containing high-pT jets, missing transverse momentum and no electrons or muons is presented. The data were recorded in 2012 by the ATLAS experiment in root s = 8 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, with a total integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1). Results are interpreted in a variety of simplified and specific supersymmetry-breaking models assuming that R-parity is conserved and that the lightest neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle. An exclusion limit at the 95% confidence level on the mass of the gluino is set at 1330 GeV for a simplified model incorporating only a gluino and the lightest neutralino. For a simplified model involving the strong production of first- and second-generation squarks, squark masses below 850 GeV (440 GeV) are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino, assuming mass degenerate ( single light-flavour) squarks. In mSUGRA/CMSSM models with tan beta = 30, A(0) = -2m(0) and μ> 0, squarks and gluinos of equal mass are excluded for masses below 1700 GeV. Additional limits are set for non-universal Higgs mass models with gaugino mediation and for simplified models involving the pair production of gluinos, each decaying to a top squark and a top quark, with the top squark decaying to a charm quark and a neutralino. These limits extend the region of supersymmetric parameter space excluded by previous searches with the ATLAS detector.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fassi, F., Ferrer, A., et al. (2014). Search for direct pair production of the top squark in all-hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 015–51pp.
Abstract: The results of a search for direct pair production of the scalar partner to the top quark using an integrated luminosity of 20.1 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. The top squark is assumed to decay via or , where denotes the lightest neutralino (chargino) in supersymmetric models. The search targets a fully-hadronic final state in events with four or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction is observed, and exclusion limits are reported in terms of the top squark and neutralino masses and as a function of the branching fraction of . For a branching fraction of 100%, top squark masses in the range 270-645 GeV are excluded for masses below 30 GeV. For a branching fraction of 50% to either or , and assuming the mass to be twice the mass, top squark masses in the range 250-550 GeV are excluded for masses below 60 GeV.
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Ghosh, P., Lopez-Fogliani, D. E., Mitsou, V. A., Muñoz, C., & Ruiz de Austri, R. (2014). Probing the μnu SSM with light scalars, pseudoscalars and neutralinos from the decay of a SM-like Higgs boson at the LHC. J. High Energy Phys., 11(11), 102–57pp.
Abstract: The “mu from nu” supersymmetric standard model (mu nu SSM) can accommodate the newly discovered Higgs-like scalar boson with a mass around 125GeV. This model provides a solution to the mu-problem and simultaneously reproduces correct neutrino physics by the simple use of right-handed neutrino superfields. These new superfields together with the introduced R-parity violation can produce novel and characteristic signatures of the μnu SSM at the LHC. We explore the signatures produced through two-body Higgs decays into the new states, provided that these states lie below in the mass spectrum. For example, a pair produced light neutralinos depending on the associated decay length can give rise to displaced multi-leptons/taus/jets/photons with small/moderate missing transverse energy. In the same spirit, a Higgs-like scalar decaying to a pair of scalars/pseudoscalars can produce final states with prompt multi-leptons/taus/jets/photons.
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Choi, K. Y., Lopez-Fogliani, D. E., Muñoz, C., & Ruiz de Austri, R. (2010). Gamma-ray detection from gravitino dark matter decay in the μnu SSM. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 03(3), 028–14pp.
Abstract: The μnu SSM provides a solution to the mu-problem of the MSSM and explains the origin of neutrino masses by simply using right-handed neutrino superfields. Given that R-parity is broken in this model, the gravitino is a natural candidate for dark matter since its lifetime becomes much longer than the age of the Universe. We consider the implications of gravitino dark matter in the μnu SSM, analyzing in particular the prospects for detecting gamma rays from decaying gravitinos. If the gravitino explains the whole dark matter component, a gravitino mass larger than 20 GeV is disfavored by the isotropic diffuse photon background measurements. On the other hand, a gravitino with a mass range between 0.1 – 20 GeV gives rise to a signal that might be observed by the FERMI satellite. In this way important regions of the parameter space of the μnu SSM can be checked.
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Boubekeur, L., Choi, K. Y., Ruiz de Austri, R., & Vives, O. (2010). The degenerate gravitino scenario. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 04(4), 005–26pp.
Abstract: In this work, we explore the “degenerate gravitino” scenario where the mass difference between the gravitino and the lightest MSSM particle is much smaller than the gravitino mass itself. In this case, the energy released in the decay of the next to lightest sypersymmetric particle (NLSP) is reduced. Consequently the cosmological and astrophysical constraints on the gravitino abundance, and hence on the reheating temperature, become softer than in the usual case. On the other hand, such small mass splittings generically imply a much longer lifetime for the NLSP. We find that, in the constrained MSSM (CMSSM), for neutralino LSP or NLSP, reheating temperatures compatible with thermal leptogenesis are reached for small splittings of order 10(-2) GeV. While for stau NLSP, temperatures of T-RH similar or equal to 4 x 10(9) GeV can be obtained even for splittings of order of tens of GeVs. This “degenerate gravitino” scenario offers a possible way out to the gravitino problem for thermal leptogenesis in supersymmetric theories.
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van Beekveld, M., Caron, S., & Ruiz de Austri, R. (2020). The current status of fine-tuning in supersymmetry. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 147–41pp.
Abstract: In this paper, we minimize and compare two different fine-tuning measures in four high-scale supersymmetric models that are embedded in the MSSM. In addition, we determine the impact of current and future dark matter direct detection and collider experiments on the fine-tuning. We then compare the low-scale electroweak measure with the high-scale Barbieri-Giudice measure. We find that they reduce to the same value when the higgsino parameter drives the degree of fine-tuning. We also find spectra where the high-scale measure turns out to be lower than the low-scale measure. Depending on the high-scale model and fine-tuning definition, we find a minimal fine-tuning of 3-38 (corresponding to O(10-1)%) for the low-scale measure, and 63-571 (corresponding to O(1-0.1)%) for the high-scale measure. We stress that it is too early to conclude on the fate of supersymmetry, based only on the fine-tuning paradigm.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., et al. (2019). Search for bottom-squark pair production with the ATLAS detector in final states containing Higgs bosons, b-jets and missing transverse momentum. J. High Energy Phys., 12(12), 060–50pp.
Abstract: The result of a search for the pair production of the lightest supersymmetric partner of the bottom quark ((b) over tilde (1)) using 139 fb(-1) of proton-proton data collected at root s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector is reported. In the supersymmetric scenarios considered both of the bottom-squarks decay into a b-quark and the second-lightest neutralino, (b) over tilde (1) -> b + (chi) over tilde (0)(2). Each (chi) over tilde (0)(2) is assumed to subsequently decay with 100% branching ratio into a Higgs boson (h) like the one in the Standard Model and the lightest neutralino: (chi) over tilde (0)(2) -> h + (chi) over tilde (0)(1). The (chi) over tilde (0)(1) is assumed to be the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) and is stable. Two signal mass configurations are targeted: the first has a constant LSP mass of 60 GeV; and the second has a constant mass difference between the (chi) over tilde (0)(2) and (chi) over tilde (0)(1) of 130 GeV. The final states considered contain no charged leptons, three or more b-jets, and large missing transverse momentum. No significant excess of events over the Standard Model background expectation is observed in any of the signal regions considered. Limits at the 95% confidence level are placed in the supersymmetric models considered, and bottom-squarks with mass up to 1.5 TeV are excluded.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2020). Search for squarks and gluinos in final states with same-sign leptons and jets using 139 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 046–44pp.
Abstract: A search for supersymmetric partners of gluons and quarks is presented, involving signatures with jets and either two isolated leptons (electrons or muons) with the same electric charge, or at least three isolated leptons. A data sample of proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1), is used for the search. No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is observed. The results are interpreted in simplified supersymmetric models featuring both R-parity conservation and R-parity violation, raising the exclusion limits beyond those of previous ATLAS searches to 1600 GeV for gluino masses and 750 GeV for bottom and top squark masses in these scenarios.
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Ellis, J., Gomez, M. E., Lola, S., Ruiz de Austri, R., & Shafi, Q. (2020). Confronting grand unification with lepton flavour violation, dark matter and LHC data. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 197–29pp.
Abstract: We explore possible signatures for charged lepton flavour violation (LFV), sparticle discovery at the LHC and dark matter (DM) searches in grand unified theories (GUTs) based on SU(5), flipped SU(5) (FSU(5)) and SU(4)(c) x SU(2)(L) x SU(2)(R) (4-2-2). We assume that soft supersymmetry-breaking terms preserve the group symmetry at some high input scale, and focus on the non-universal effects on different matter representations generated by gauge interactions at lower scales, as well as the charged LFV induced in Type-1 see-saw models of neutrino masses. We identify the different mechanisms that control the relic DM density in the various GUT models, and contrast their LFV and LHC signatures. The SU(5) and 4-2-2 models offer good detection prospects both at the LHC and in LFV searches, though with different LSP compositions, and the SU(5) and FSU(5) models offer LFV within the current reach. The 4-2-2 model allows chargino and gluino coannihilations with neutralinos, and the former offer good detection prospects for both the LHC and LFV, while gluino coannihilations lead to lower LFV rates. Our results indicate that LFV is a powerful tool that complements LHC and DM searches, providing significant insights into the sparticle spectra and neutrino mass parameters in different models.
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