Prospects for supersymmetry at CERN LEP 2.

Abstract

Working within the framework of the mininal supergravity (SUGRA) model with gauge coupling unification and radiative electroweak symmetry breaking we map out regions of parameter space explorable by experiments at CERN LEP 2, for center-of-mass energy options of \ensuremath{\surd}s =150, 175, 190, and 205 GeV. We compute signals from all accessible 2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2 supersymmetry (SUSY) pair production processes using the isaget simulation program, and devise cuts that enhance the signal relative to standard model backgrounds, and which also serve to differentiate various supersymmetric processes from one another. We delineate regions of SUGRA parameter space where production of neutralino pairs, chargino pairs, slepton pairs, and the production of the light Higgs scalar of SUSY is detectable above standard model backgrounds and distinguishable from other SUSY processes. In addition, we find small regions of SUGRA parameter space where e\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} e\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}, Z${\mathrm{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}}_{2}$Z${\mathrm{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}}_{2}$, and \ensuremath{\nu}${\mathrm{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}}_{\mathit{L}}$\ensuremath{\nu}${\mathrm{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}}_{\mathit{L}}$ production yields spectacular events with up to four isolated leptons. The combined regions of parameter space explorable by LEP 2 are compared with the reach of Fermilab Tevatron Main Injector era experiments. Finally, we comment on how the reach via the neutralino pair channel is altered when the radiative electroweak symmetry breaking constraint is relaxed.