174,245 research outputs found
A simple technique for combining simplified models and its application to direct stop production
The results of many LHC searches for supersymmetric particles are interpreted
using simplified models, in which one fixes the masses and couplings of most
sparticles then scans over a few remaining masses of interest. We present a new
technique for combining multiple simplified models (that requires no additional
simulation) thereby highlighting the utility and limitations of simplified
models in general, and demonstrating a simple way of improving LHC search
strategies. The technique is used to derive limits on the stop mass that are
model independent, modulo some reasonably generic assumptions which are
quantified precisely. We find that current ATLAS and CMS results exclude stop
masses up to 340 GeV for neutralino masses up to 120 GeV, provided that the
total branching ratio into channels other than top-neutralino and
bottom-chargino is small, and that there is no mass difference smaller than 10
GeV in the mass spectrum. In deriving these limits we place upper bounds on the
branching ratios for complete stop pair decay processes for many values of the
stop, neutralino and chargino masses. These are available with this paper.Comment: 25 pages, data included in source. V3: new content added, version
accepted for publicatio
Study of ATLAS sensitivity to FCNC top decays
The ATLAS experiment sensitivity to top quark Flavour Changing Neutral
Current (FCNC) decays was studied at LHC using ttbar events. While one of the
top quarks is expected to follow the dominant Standard Model decay t->bW, the
other decays through a FCNC channel, i.e. t-> Z u(c), t-> gamma u(c) or t-> g
u(c). Different types of analyses, applied to each FCNC decay mode, were
compared. The FCNC branching ratio sensitivity (assuming a 5sigma signal
significance) and 95% confidence level limits on the branching ratios (in the
hypothesis of signal absence) were obtained
The pMSSM10 after LHC Run 1
We present a frequentist analysis of the parameter space of the pMSSM10, in
which the following 10 soft SUSY-breaking parameters are specified
independently at the mean scalar top mass scale Msusy = Sqrt[M_stop1 M_stop2]:
the gaugino masses M_{1,2,3}, the 1st-and 2nd-generation squark masses M_squ1 =
M_squ2, the third-generation squark mass M_squ3, a common slepton mass M_slep
and a common trilinear mixing parameter A, the Higgs mixing parameter mu, the
pseudoscalar Higgs mass M_A and tan beta. We use the MultiNest sampling
algorithm with 1.2 x 10^9 points to sample the pMSSM10 parameter space. A
dedicated study shows that the sensitivities to strongly-interacting SUSY
masses of ATLAS and CMS searches for jets, leptons + MET signals depend only
weakly on many of the other pMSSM10 parameters. With the aid of the Atom and
Scorpion codes, we also implement the LHC searches for EW-interacting
sparticles and light stops, so as to confront the pMSSM10 parameter space with
all relevant SUSY searches. In addition, our analysis includes Higgs mass and
rate measurements using the HiggsSignals code, SUSY Higgs exclusion bounds, the
measurements B-physics observables, EW precision observables, the CDM density
and searches for spin-independent DM scattering. We show that the pMSSM10 is
able to provide a SUSY interpretation of (g-2)_mu, unlike the CMSSM, NUHM1 and
NUHM2. As a result, we find (omitting Higgs rates) that the minimum chi^2/dof =
20.5/18 in the pMSSM10, corresponding to a chi^2 probability of 30.8 %, to be
compared with chi^2/dof = 32.8/24 (31.1/23) (30.3/22) in the CMSSM (NUHM1)
(NUHM2). We display 1-dimensional likelihood functions for SUSY masses, and
show that they may be significantly lighter in the pMSSM10 than in the CMSSM,
NUHM1 and NUHM2. We discuss the discovery potential of future LHC runs, e+e-
colliders and direct detection experiments.Comment: 47 pages, 29 figure
Complementarity of Resonant Scalar, Vector-Like Quark and Superpartner Searches in Elucidating New Phenomena
The elucidation of the nature of new phenomena requires a multi-pronged
approach to understand the essential physics that underlies it. As an example,
we study the simplified model containing a new scalar singlet accompanied by
vector-like quarks, as motivated by the recent diphoton excess at the LHC. To
be specific, we investigate three models with -doublet, vector-like
quarks with Yukawa couplings to a new scalar singlet and which also couple
off-diagonally to corresponding Standard Model fermions of the first or third
generation through the usual Higgs boson. We demonstrate that three classes of
searches can play important and complementary roles in constraining this model.
In particular, we find that missing energy searches designed for superparticle
production, supply superior sensitivity for vector-like quarks than the
dedicated new quark searches themselves.Comment: References added; small bug found in model and analysis
implementation, numerical results slightly modified, conclusions unchange
Relaxation Penalties and Priors for Plausible Modeling of Nonidentified Bias Sources
In designed experiments and surveys, known laws or design feat ures provide
checks on the most relevant aspects of a model and identify the target
parameters. In contrast, in most observational studies in the health and social
sciences, the primary study data do not identify and may not even bound target
parameters. Discrepancies between target and analogous identified parameters
(biases) are then of paramount concern, which forces a major shift in modeling
strategies. Conventional approaches are based on conditional testing of
equality constraints, which correspond to implausible point-mass priors. When
these constraints are not identified by available data, however, no such
testing is possible. In response, implausible constraints can be relaxed into
penalty functions derived from plausible prior distributions. The resulting
models can be fit within familiar full or partial likelihood frameworks. The
absence of identification renders all analyses part of a sensitivity analysis.
In this view, results from single models are merely examples of what might be
plausibly inferred. Nonetheless, just one plausible inference may suffice to
demonstrate inherent limitations of the data. Points are illustrated with
misclassified data from a study of sudden infant death syndrome. Extensions to
confounding, selection bias and more complex data structures are outlined.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-STS291 the Statistical
Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical
Statistics (http://www.imstat.org
Polarization-based Tests of Gravity with the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background
The direct observation of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO and Advanced
Virgo offers novel opportunities to test general relativity in strong-field,
highly dynamical regimes. One such opportunity is the measurement of
gravitational-wave polarizations. While general relativity predicts only two
tensor gravitational-wave polarizations, general metric theories of gravity
allow for up to four additional vector and scalar modes. The detection of these
alternative polarizations would represent a clear violation of general
relativity. The LIGO-Virgo detection of the binary black hole merger GW170814
has recently offered the first direct constraints on the polarization of
gravitational waves. The current generation of ground-based detectors, however,
is limited in its ability to sensitively determine the polarization content of
transient gravitational-wave signals. Observation of the stochastic
gravitational-wave background, in contrast, offers a means of directly
measuring generic gravitational-wave polarizations. The stochastic background,
arising from the superposition of many individually unresolvable
gravitational-wave signals, may be detectable by Advanced LIGO at
design-sensitivity. In this paper, we present a Bayesian method with which to
detect and characterize the polarization of the stochastic background. We
explore prospects for estimating parameters of the background, and quantify the
limits that Advanced LIGO can place on vector and scalar polarizations in the
absence of a detection. Finally, we investigate how the introduction of new
terrestrial detectors like Advanced Virgo aid in our ability to detect or
constrain alternative polarizations in the stochastic background. We find that,
although the addition of Advanced Virgo does not notably improve detection
prospects, it may dramatically improve our ability to estimate the parameters
of backgrounds of mixed polarization.Comment: 24 pages, 20 figures; Accepted by PRX. This version includes major
changes in response to referee comments and corrects an error in Eq. E
Retrieving Temperatures and Abundances of Exoplanet Atmospheres with High-Resolution Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy
Hi-resolution spectroscopy (R > 25,000) has recently emerged as one of the
leading methods to detect atomic and molecular species in the atmospheres of
exoplanets. However, it has so far been lacking in a robust method to extract
quantitative constraints on temperature structure and molecular/atomic
abundances. In this work we present a novel Bayesian atmospheric retrieval
framework applicable to high resolution cross-correlation spectroscopy (HRCCS)
that relies upon the cross-correlation between data and models to extract the
planetary spectral signal. We successfully test the framework on simulated data
and show that it can correctly determine Bayesian credibility intervals on
atmospheric temperatures and abundances allowing for a quantitative exploration
of the inherent degeneracies. Furthermore, our new framework permits us to
trivially combine and explore the synergies between HRCCS and low-resolution
spectroscopy (LRS) to provide maximal leverage on the information contained
within each. This framework also allows us to quantitatively assess the impact
of molecular line opacities at high resolution. We apply the framework to VLT
CRIRES K-band spectra of HD 209458 b and HD 189733 b and retrieve abundant
carbon monoxide but sub-solar abundances for water, largely invariant under
different model assumptions. This confirms previous analysis of these datasets,
but is possibly at odds with detections of water at different wavelengths and
spectral resolutions. The framework presented here is the first step towards a
true synergy between space observatories and ground-based hi-resolution
observations.Comment: Accepted Version (01/16/19
On the presentation of the LHC Higgs Results
We put forth conclusions and suggestions regarding the presentation of the
LHC Higgs results that may help to maximize their impact and their utility to
the whole High Energy Physics community.Comment: Conclusions from the workshops "Likelihoods for the LHC Searches",
21-23 January 2013 at CERN, "Implications of the 125 GeV Higgs Boson", 18-22
March 2013 at LPSC Grenoble, and from the 2013 Les Houches "Physics at TeV
Colliders" workshop. 16 pages, 3 figures. Version 2: Comment added on the
first publication of signal strength likelihoods in digital form by ATLA
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