The ILC Potential for Discovering New Particles

The LHC did not discover new particles beyond the Standard Model Higgs boson at 7 and 8 TeV, or in the first data samples at 13 TeV. However, the complementary nature of physics with $e^+e^-$ collisions still offers many interesting scenarios in which new particles can be discovered at the ILC. These scenarios take advantage of the capability of $e^+e^-$ collisions to observe particles with missing energy and small mass differences, to observe mono-photon events with precisely controlled backgrounds, and to observe the full range of exotic decay modes of the Higgs boson. The searches that an $e^+e^-$ collider makes possible are particularly important for models of dark matter involving a dark sector with particles above the modest energy reach of fixed-target experiments. In this talk, we will review the opportunities that the ILC offers for new particle discovery.Comment: on behalf of the LCC Physics W

Polarimetry at the ILC

At the ILC, the luminosity-weighted average polarization at the IP needs to be determined at the permille-level. In order to reach this goal, the combined information from the polarimeter and the collision data is required. In this study, a unified approach will be presented, which for the first time combines the cross section measurements with the expected constraints from the polarimeters. Hereby, the statistical and systematical uncertainties are taken into account, including their correlations. This study shows that a fast spin flip frequency is required because it easily reduces the systematic uncertainty, while a non-perfect helicity reversal can be compensated for within the unified approach. The final goal is to provide a realistic estimation of the luminosity-weighted average polarization at the IP to be used in the physic analyses.Comment: 8 pages, conference proceedings LCWS 2016 Morioka Japa

Improvements to the ILC Upstream Polarimeter

The physics programme of the ILC requires polarimetry with yet unprecedented precision. This note focusses on aspects of the upstream polarimeter as described in the ILC Reference Design Report which are not compatible with the extraordinary precision goals. In conclusion, recommendations for improving the design are given.Comment: to appear in the proceedings of LCWS 200

A Calibration System for Compton Polarimetry at e+e−e^+e^- Linear Colliders

Polarimetry with permille-level precision is essential for future electron-positron linear colliders. Compton polarimeters can reach negligible statistical uncertainties within seconds of measurement time. The dominating systematic uncertainties originate from the response and alignment of the detector which records the Compton scattered electrons. The robust baseline technology for the Compton polarimeters foreseen at future linear colliders is based on an array of gas Cherenkov detectors read out by photomultipliers. In this paper, we will present a calibration method which promises to monitor nonlinearities in the response of such a detector at the level of a few permille. This method has been implemented in an LED-based calibration system which matches the existing prototype detector. The performance of this calibration system is sufficient to control the corresponding contribution to the total uncertainty on the extracted polarisation to better than $0.1\%$.Comment: 27 pages, 17 figure

A Quartz Cherenkov Detector for Compton-Polarimetry at Future e+e- Colliders

Precision polarimetry is essential for future e+ e- colliders and requires Compton polarimeters designed for negligible statistical uncertainties. In this paper, we discuss the design and construction of a quartz Cherenkov detector for such Compton polarimeters. The detector concept has been developed with regard to the main systematic uncertainties of the polarisation measurements, namely the linearity of the detector response and detector alignment. Simulation studies presented here imply that the light yield reachable by using quartz as Cherenkov medium allows to resolve in the Cherenkov photon spectra individual peaks corresponding to different numbers of Compton electrons. The benefits of the application of a detector with such single-peak resolution to the polarisation measurement are shown for the example of the upstream polarimeters foreseen at the International Linear Collider. Results of a first testbeam campaign with a four-channel prototype confirming simulation predictions for single electrons are presented

Model-independent WIMP Characterisation using ISR

The prospects of measuring the parameters of WIMP dark matter in a model independent way at the International Linear Collider are investigated. The signal under study is direct WIMP pair production with associated initial state radiation. The analysis is performed in full simulation of the ILD detector concept. With an integrated luminosity of L = 500 fb-1 and realistic beam polarizations the helicity structure of the WIMP couplings to electrons can be determined, and the masses and cross sections can be measured to the percent level. The systematic uncertainties are dominated by the polarization measurement and the luminosity spectrum.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders LCWS1