Searching for Dark Matter with tt‾t\overline{t} Resonance

Many models containing particles which are candidates for dark matter, assume the standard model particles and the dark matter candidates are mediated by a spin-0 particle. At the LHC, one can use these models for dark matter searches. One of the possible approaches for the search of these models is by considering the decay of the spin-0 particle to a pair of $t\bar{t}$, thus modifying the pattern of the top quark pair invariant mass spectrum. This search suggests a good sensitivity in a parameter space different than the more traditional searches. We examine this sensitivity and put limits on two benchmark models containing candidates for dark matter, using previous ATLAS results. It was found that when the mediator mass ($m_{Y_0}$) and the dark matter candidate mass ($m_{\chi}$) have values of $m_{Y_0} \sim 2 \cdot m_{\chi}$, mediator masses in the range of $[400,600]$ GeV are excluded. We compare our results to direct detection experiments and show that we gain sensitivity for new regions which are not covered by other searches

Probing long-lived axions at the KOTO experiment

While the main goal of the J-PARC KOTO experiment is to measure the rare decay $K_L→π^0ν\overline{ν}$, the unique setup of KOTO raises the possibility to search for physics beyond the Standard Model, in an attempt to probe parts of the parameter space which are not covered by other experiments. In this paper, we test the possibility of using KOTO to search for heavy QCD axions, or axionlike particles, a well-motivated extension of the Standard Model emerging in a variety of models. In particular, we estimate the sensitivity of the current KOTO setup as well as KOTO Step 2 for various benchmark scenarios of axion coupling to the Standard Model. We find that KOTO Step 2 can probe new regions in the parameter space, while KOTO with its current form can only reaffirm the existing bounds. The obtained axion datasets are available as an update of the public code of the ALPINIST framework, including implementation of KOTO setups in the simulation, allowing for interpretation of various analyses as searches for axions in custom models

Establishing a Search for b→sℓ+ℓ−b \rightarrow s \ell^{+} \ell^{-} Anomalies at the LHC

One of the fundamental predictions of the Standard Model is Lepton Flavour Universality. Any deviation from this prediction would indicate the existence of physics beyond the Standard Model. Recent LHCb measurements present a pattern of deviations from this prediction in rare B-meson decays. While not yet statistically significant (currently $2.2-2.6 \sigma$), these measurements show an imbalance in the ratio of B-meson decays to a pair of muons in association with a Kaon and decays to a pair of electrons in association with a Kaon. If the measured deviations are indeed present in nature, new physics may mediate interactions involving a pair of same flavour leptons, a $b$- and an $s$-quark. We present the prospect for a search of new physics in this type of interactions at the LHC, in a process that involves an $s$-quark, and a final state with two leptons and a $b$-jet. The proposed search can improve the sensitivity to new physics in these processes by a factor of four compared to current searches with in the total dataset expected at the LHC

Probing the muon (g-2) anomaly at the LHC in final states with two muons and two taus

The longstanding muon $(g-2)$ anomaly, as well as the persistent hints of lepton flavor universality violation in $B$-meson decays, could be signaling new physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). A minimal $R$-parity-violating supersymmetric framework with light third-generation sfermions (dubbed as 'RPV3') provides a compelling solution to these flavor anomalies, while simultaneously addressing other pressing issues of the SM. We propose a new RPV3 scenario for the solution of the muon $(g-2)$ anomaly, which leads to an interesting LHC signal of $\mu^+\mu^-\tau^+\tau^-$ final state. We analyze the Run-2 LHC multilepton data to derive stringent constraints on the sneutrino mass and the relevant RPV coupling in this scenario. We then propose dedicated selection strategies to improve the bound even with the existing dataset. We also show that the high-luminosity LHC will completely cover the remaining muon $(g-2)$-preferred parameter space, thus providing a robust, independent test of the muon $(g-2)$ anomaly.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

High pTp_T correlated tests of lepton universality in lepton(s) + jet(s) processes; an EFT analysis

We suggest a new class of tests for searching for lepton flavor non-universality (LFNU) using ratio observables and based on correlations among the underlying LFNU new physics (NP) effects in several (seemingly independent) di-lepton and single lepton + jet(s) processes. This is demonstrated by studying the effects generated by LFNU 4-Fermi interactions involving 3rd generation quarks. We find that the sensitivity to the scale ($\Lambda$) of the LFNU 4-Fermi operators significantly improves when the correlations among the various di-lepton +jets and single-lepton + jets processes are used, reaching $\Lambda \sim {\cal O}(10)$~TeV at the HL-LHC.Comment: 9 page

Entanglement and Bell nonlocality with bottom-quark pairs at hadron colliders

In the past years, it was shown that entanglement and Bell nonlocality, which are key concepts in Quantum Mechanics, can be probed in high-energy colliders, via processes of fundamental particle scattering. Recently, it has been shown that spin correlations can be measured in pairs of bottom quarks at the LHC. Given the low mass of the bottom quark compared to typical scattering processes at the LHC, many of the bottom-quark pairs are in the ultrarelativistic regime, where they can exhibit strong spin entanglement. We find that entanglement of bottom-quark pairs may be measurable even with Run 2 data, especially with the CMS $B$ parking dataset, while observation of Bell nonlocality may become feasible at the high-luminosity phase of the LHC.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Measurement of the tt¯ tt¯ production cross section in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A measurement of four-top-quark production using proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 is presented. Events are selected if they contain a single lepton (electron or muon) or an opposite-sign lepton pair, in association with multiple jets. The events are categorised according to the number of jets and how likely these are to contain b-hadrons. A multivariate technique is then used to discriminate between signal and background events. The measured four-top-quark production cross section is found to be 26+17−15 fb, with a corresponding observed (expected) significance of 1.9 (1.0) standard deviations over the background-only hypothesis. The result is combined with the previous measurement performed by the ATLAS Collaboration in the multilepton final state. The combined four-top-quark production cross section is measured to be 24+7−6 fb, with a corresponding observed (expected) signal significance of 4.7 (2.6) standard deviations over the background-only predictions. It is consistent within 2.0 standard deviations with the Standard Model expectation of 12.0 ± 2.4 fb.publishedVersio