Search for RS gravitons via [formula omitted] decays

Abstract

The original Randall–Sundrum (RS) model with a warped extra dimension along with extensions provides the possibility for a simultaneous solution to Planck-weak hierarchy problem as well as the flavor puzzle in the Standard Model (SM). The most distinctive feature of this scenario is the existence of Kaluza–Klein (KK) gravitons whose masses and couplings to the SM fields are set by the TeV scale. In some realistic versions of this framework, the largest coupling of the gravitons to the observed particles is to the top quark and unphysical Higgses (WL± and ZL) with the KK graviton (G) masses predicted to be ≳4 TeV. We extend earlier works on the KK graviton decays to the tt¯ final state and to the “gold-plated”ZLZL modes (with each Z decaying to e+e− or to μ+μ−) by studying the resonant production of the gravitons and their subsequent decay to WLWL pair. We find that with 300 fb−1 integrated luminosity of data the semileptonic G→W(→lνl)W(→2jets) mode offers a good opportunity to search for the RS KK graviton mode with mass lighter than ∼3–3.5 TeV at the CERN LHC. Efficient WW mass reconstruction in the semileptonic mode combined with an analysis of dilepton mass distribution in the purely leptonic channel, pp→W(→lνl)W(→l′νl′) may help to observe KK Z′ and KK graviton separately. Suitably defined average energy of the charged lepton in the semileptonic mode may be used to distinguish decays from longitudinal versus transverse W-bosons.