Large Hadron Collider Research Articles

The process $$gg\rightarrow h^0 Z^{*}$$ in the inverted hierarchy scenario of the 2HDM type-I at the LHC

AbstractWhile searching at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for the production and decay of the CP-odd scalar ($$A^0$$ A 0 ) in the 2-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM) with Natural Flavour Conservation (NFC) via the channels $$gg\rightarrow A^0$$ g g → A 0 (through one-loop triangle diagrams) and $$A^0\rightarrow h^0 Z^*$$ A 0 → h 0 Z ∗ (with $$m_{h^0} =125$$ m h 0 = 125 GeV or $$m_{h^0} < 125$$ m h 0 < 125 GeV, with Z off-shell), respectively, a factorisation of the two processes is normally performed, with the $$A^0$$ A 0 state being on-shell. While this approach is gauge-invariant, it is not capturing the presence of either of the following two channels: $$gg\rightarrow Z^*\rightarrow h^0Z^*$$ g g → Z ∗ → h 0 Z ∗ (through one-loop triangle diagrams) or $$gg\rightarrow h^0Z^*$$ g g → h 0 Z ∗ (through one-loop box diagrams). As the resolution of the $$A^0$$ A 0 mass cannot be infinitely precise, we affirm that all such contributions should be computed simultaneously, whichever the $$h^0$$ h 0 ($$Z^{*}$$ Z ∗ ) decay(splitting) products, thereby including all possible interferences amongst themselves. The cross section of the ensuing complete process is significantly different from that obtained in the factorisation case, being of the order up to ten percent in either direction at the integrated level and larger (including changes in the shape of kinematical observables) at the differential level. We thus suggest that the complete calculation ought to be performed while searching for $$A^0$$ A 0 in this channel. We illustrate this need for the case of a 2HDM of Type-I in the inverted hierarchy scenario with $$m_{h^0}<125$$ m h 0 < 125 GeV.

Bosonic multi-Higgs correlations beyond leading order

The production of multiple Higgs bosons at the LHC and beyond is a strong test of the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking. Taking inspiration from recent experimental efforts to move toward limits on triple-Higgs production at the Large Hadron Collider, we consider generic bosonic deviations of HH and HHH production from the Standard Model in the guise of Higgs effective field theory (HEFT). Including one-loop radiative corrections within the HEFT and going up to O(p4) in the momentum expansion, we provide a detailed motivation of the parameter range that the LHC (and future hadron colliders) can explore, through accessing nonstandard coupling modifications and momentum dependencies that probe Higgs boson nonlinearities. In particular, we find that radiative corrections can enhance the sensitivity to Higgs self-coupling modifiers and HEFT-specific momentum dependencies can vastly increase triple-Higgs production, thus providing further motivation to consider these processes during the LHC’s high-luminosity phase. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Trials factor for semi-supervised NN classifiers in searches for narrow resonances at the LHC

To mitigate the model dependencies of searches for new narrow resonances at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), semi-supervised Neural Networks (NNs) can be used. Unlike fully supervised classifiers these models introduce an additional look-elsewhere effect in the process of optimising thresholds on the response distribution. We perform a frequentist study to quantify this effect, in the form of a trials factor. As an example, we consider simulated Z\gammaZγ data to perform narrow resonance searches using semi-supervised NN classifiers. The results from this analysis provide substantiation that the look-elsewhere effect induced by the semi-supervised NN is under control.

Dark matter as the trigger of flavor changing neutral current decays of the top quark

We suggest a simplified model that simultaneously addresses the dark matter problem and gives rise to top-quark flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) interactions at the one-loop order. The model consists of two extra SU(2)L gauge singlets: a colored mediator of spin zero (S) and a right-handed fermion (χ); both are odd under an Z2 symmetry. The right-handed fermion plays the role of the dark matter candidate. In this model, the presence of the two dark sector particles generates one-loop induced FCNC decays of the top quark into light quarks and bosons such as the gluon, the photon, the Z boson, or the Higgs boson. As a case study, we analyze the top-quark FCNC decays into light quarks (u or c) and Z or Higgs bosons. We then study the reliable solutions to the dark matter problem by estimating the regions in the parameter space that are consistent with the measurement of the dark matter relic density. We also revisit the bounds from the searches of dark matter in events with at least one high-pT jet and large missing transverse energy at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We then define four benchmark points that are consistent with the existing constraints from collider experiments and cosmology. We finally estimate, for these benchmark scenarios, the rates of a broad range of channels that can be used to probe the connection between the top FCNC transitions and dark matter, both at the HL-LHC and at a future 100 TeV collider. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Magnetic Monopole Phenomenology at Future Hadron Colliders

Abstract In the grand tapestry of Physics, the magnetic monopole (MM) is a holy grail. Therefore, numerous efforts are underway in search of this hypothetical particle at CMS, ATLAS, and MoEDAL experiments of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by employing different production mechanisms. The cornerstone of our comprehension of monopoles lies in Dirac’s theory which outlines their characteristics and dynamics. Within this theoretical framework, an effective U(1) gauge field theory, derived from conventional models, delineates the interaction between spin magnetically-charged fields and ordinary photons under electric–magnetic dualization. The focus of this paper is the production of MMs through Drell–Yan (DY) and the Photon-Fusion (PF) mechanisms to generate velocity-dependent scalar, fermionic, and vector monopoles of spin angular momentum 0 , 1 2 , 1 respectively at LHC. A computational study compares the monopole pair-production cross-sections for both methods at various center-of-mass energies ( s ) with different magnetic dipole moments. The comparison of kinematic distributions of monopoles at Parton and reconstructed level are demonstrated for both DY and PF mechanisms. Extracted results showcase how modern machine-learning techniques can be used to study the production of MMs at the future proton-proton particle colliders at 100 TeV. We demonstrate the observability of MMs against the most relevant Standard Model background using multivariate methods such as Boosted Decision Trees, Likelihood, and Multilayer Perceptron. This study compares the performance of these classifiers with traditional cut-based and counting approaches, proving the superiority of our methods.

Estimation of the Chances to Find New Phenomena at the LHC in a Model-Agnostic Combinatorial Analysis

In this paper, we estimate the number of event topologies that have the potential to be produced in pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) without violating kinematic and other constraints. We use numerical calculations and combinatorics, guided by large-scale Monte Carlo simulations of Standard Model (SM) processes. Then, we set the upper limit on the probability that new physics may escape detection, assuming a model-agnostic approach. The calculated probability is unexpectedly large, and the fact that LHC has not found new physics until now is not entirely surprising. Theoretical limitations and experimental challenges in observing new physics within the studied exclusive event classes are examined.

Advanced Monte Carlo simulations and benchmark of residual dose rate assessments in the ATLAS detector at CERN LHC

Background The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) pushes the frontiers of physics through the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 27-kilometre hadron accelerator capable of producing proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of up to 13.6 TeV. Its four main detectors (ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, LHCb) are unique examples of advanced particle detection technology and complexity. Ensuring radiological safety throughout the LHC’s environments and lifecycle is a critical task managed by the CERN Radiation Protection group. In this context, assessing residual dose rates is crucial for planning exposure situations, such as maintenance and upgrade projects during LHC shutdowns. Methods This work presents advanced Monte Carlo techniques developed at CERN to predict residual dose rates in the LHC experimental caverns, focusing on the ATLAS detector. Predictions are made using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code and the SESAME toolkit for two-step simulations. The simulation results are benchmarked against experimental residual dose rate measurements collected during LHC Long Shutdown 2 at ATLAS. Additionally, forecasts for Long Shutdown 3 are also presented. Results The FLUKA benchmark for the ATLAS detector demonstrates a general agreement within a factor of 1.5. This consistency validates both the FLUKA geometry model of the ATLAS detector and the reliability of the Monte Carlo techniques used to predict residual dose rates in such complex environments. Conclusions The study highlights the predictive capabilities of the FLUKA and SESAME coupling for simulating residual dose rates in large LHC experiments. This method plays a crucial role in ensuring radiological safety, primarily for dose prediction and optimization. The reliability of this approach is significantly supported by the benchmark results obtained at ATLAS and presented in this paper.

Relativistic diffusion model for hadron production in p -Pb collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

We investigate charged-hadron production in relativistic heavy-ion collisions of asymmetric systems within a nonequilibrium-statistical framework. Calculated centrality-dependent pseudorapidity distributions for p-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 and 8.16 TeV are compared with data from the Large Hadron Collider. Our approach combines a relativistic diffusion model with formulations based on quantum chromodynamics while utilizing numerical solutions of a Fokker-Planck equation to account for the shift and broadening of the fragmentation sources for particle-production with respect to the stopping (net-baryon) rapidity distributions. To represent the centrality dependence of charged-hadron production in asymmetric systems over a broad region of pseudorapidities, the consideration and precise modeling of the fragmentation sources, along with the central gluon-gluon source, is found to be essential. Specifically, this results in an inversion of the particle-production amplitude from backward to forward dominance when transitioning from central to peripheral collisions, in agreement with recent ATLAS and ALICE p-Pb data at sNN=5.02TeV. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Transverse dynamics of charmed hadrons in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions

Transverse momentum pT spectra and anisotropic flow distributions are studied for charmonia and charmed hadrons produced in Pb-Pb collisions and measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The investigations are performed within the framework of the Statistical Hadronization Model with the transverse dynamics evaluated using predictions from relativistic viscous hydrodynamics as implemented in the computer codes MUSIC and FluiduM. With this essentially parameter-free approach good agreement is obtained for pT spectra in the range pT < 10 GeV/c. The observed wide distribution in pT of anisotropic flow coefficients v2 and v3 for charmonia is also well reproduced, while their magnitude is generally somewhat over predicted. This finding may be connected to a difference in spatial distribution between light and charmed hadrons due to a different diffusion of light and heavy quarks in the hot fireball.

Cooling and noise performance of the ATLAS ITk strip system tests

The current tracking system of the ATLAS detector will be replaced by the new Inner Tracker (ITk) to cope with the challenging conditions expected at the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider. This new tracking system will be an all-silicon detector consisting of silicon pixel sensors in the inner most layers and silicon micro-strips sensors in the outer layers. A central barrel section surrounds the interaction point and two end-cap sections cover the forward regions. This contribution focuses on the results of the system tests for the ITk strips detector in which several close-to-final detector components are evaluated before production. The barrel system tests structure at CERN consists of up to eight staves, while for the end-caps a structure at DESY is loaded with up to twelve petals. Staves (petals) consist of core structures loaded with square (trapezoid) shaped sensors of various lengths and strip pitches, and include readout and power electronics mounted on top of the sensors. Objects are mechanically held in place in a support structure and connected to the electrical, optical and cooling services as true as possible to the final system. With these setups, it is possible to validate the detector design, including the verification of the detector data acquisition, powering and cooling. This article gives an overview of the system tests and summarizes their current status by showing a selection of test results.

Search for single vector-like B quark production in hadronic final states at the LHC

In this paper, we study the discovery potential of a Vector-Like B quark (VLB) via the process pp→B(→bZ)j→b(Z→νlνl¯)j\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$pp \\rightarrow B(\\rightarrow bZ)j\\rightarrow b(Z \\rightarrow \ u _l\\bar{\ u _l})j$$\\end{document} at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with s=14\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\sqrt{s}=14$$\\end{document} TeV. In the framework of a simplified model, we perform a scan over its parameter space and test its viability following a Monte Carlo analysis developed to include all production and decay dynamics. We use cut-and-count combined with Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) methods to classify the signal and background events in order to improve the efficiency of signal identification and background rejection. We find that this approach can reduce background events significantly while the signal retention rate is much higher than that of traditional methods, thereby improving the VLB discovery potential. We then calculate the exclusion and discovery capabilities for VLBs and find that the advantages of the cut-and-count plus XGBoost method especially lie in the high-mass region, i.e., mB>1500GeV\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$m_B > 1500 \ ext { GeV}$$\\end{document}. We finally obtain the following LHC results in terms of the coupling and chiral structure of a singlet heavy VLB interactions: (i) for g∗=0.2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$g^{*}=0.2$$\\end{document} and RL=0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$R_L=0$$\\end{document} with 3000 fb-1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{-1}$$\\end{document}, the B quark mass can be be excluded (discovered) up to 3000 GeV (2500 GeV); (ii) for g∗=0.2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$g^{*}=0.2$$\\end{document} and RL=0.5\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$R_L=0.5$$\\end{document} with 3000 fb-1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{-1}$$\\end{document}, the exclusion (discovery) region can reach up to 4750 GeV (4250 GeV).

Shattering Reality: Monsters from the Multiverse

Kaijū media frequently features dangerous scientific experiments as a central theme, invented by scientists who are falsely convinced that they both completely understand and control their advanced technology. In the past few decades, this has included the introduction of high-energy physics (HEP) experiments—especially mammoth particle accelerators—that, among other destructive results, allow for the entrance of equally large and dangerous creatures into our world from parallel dimensions. Public concerns voiced about the safety of the creation of two groundbreaking energy accelerators—the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in New York and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe—in the early 21st century are tied to related science fiction media that capitalize on such fears (including Godzilla vs. Megaguirus [2000], Pacific Rim [2013], The Cloverfield Paradox [2018], The Kaiju Preservation Society [2022]). Particular attention is paid to the Netflix original series Stranger Things (2016–) as a detailed case study. This study concludes with an analysis of scientists’ attempts to embrace the popularity of Stranger Things in their communication with the general public, and suggests that ongoing issues with conspiracy theories have been fueled in part by such attempts, coupled with long-standing issues with the HEP community and their peculiar scientific naming conventions.

SHIFT@LHC: Searches for new physics with shifted interaction on a fixed target at the Large Hadron Collider

New low-mass particles with very small couplings to standard model particles that travel significant distances before decaying are interesting candidates to address some of the most intriguing questions of modern physics. In this paper, I propose to extend the LHC’s research program by installing a gaseous fixed target referred to as SHIFT at around 160 meters from the CMS interaction point. When the LHC proton beam collides with this target, interactions at a center of mass energy of ≈113 GeV would occur. The particles produced in such collisions, or their decay products, would travel through the rock and other material on their path, potentially reaching the CMS detector where they can be registered and studied. Such an approach would allow us to access otherwise uncovered regions of parameters phase space at a relatively low cost since it does not require constructing a new detector. Various aspects such as angular and lifetime coverage or material survival probability have been studied. The results are interpreted within two new physics models, namely, the Dark Photons and the Hidden Valley scenarios, and compared with the standard proton-proton physics program of CMS. A comparison is also made with the fixed target program at LHCb, as well as parasitic detectors such as FASER or MATHUSLA. The obtained results indicate that, despite assuming just 1% of the nominal CMS luminosity to be available to SHIFT, the physics reach could be extended by a factor of up to 150 (1000) for Dark Photon (Hidden Valley) scenarios, depending on the signal model parameters.

CP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{CP} $$\\end{document}-sensitive simplified template cross-sections for tt¯H\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ t\\overline{t}H $$\\end{document}

The CP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{CP} $$\\end{document} structure of the Higgs boson is a fundamental property which has not yet been constrained with high precision. CP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{CP} $$\\end{document} violation in the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs boson and top quark pair can be probed directly at the Large Hadron Collider by measuring top-quark-associated Higgs production. Multivariate analysis techniques commonly developed so far by the experiments are designed for a specific signal model and, therefore, complicate reinterpretations and statistical combinations. With this motivation in mind, we propose a CP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{CP} $$\\end{document}-sensitive extension of the simplified template cross-section (STXS) framework. Considering multiple Higgs decay channels, we perform an in-depth comparison of CP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{CP} $$\\end{document}-sensitive observables and combinations thereof. Our resulting proposal is to extend the existing binning in the transverse momentum of the Higgs boson pT,H by either the pseudorapidity difference of the two top-quarks ∆ηtt¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\Delta {\\eta}_{t\\overline{t}} $$\\end{document}, or a variable that is based on the top quark momenta, namely b2 or the Collins-Soper angle |cosθ∗|. We demonstrate that this variable selection provides close to optimal sensitivity to the CP\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{CP} $$\\end{document} mixture in the top Yukawa coupling for an integrated luminosity of 300 fb−1, by comparing it to the results of a multivariate analysis. Our results also suggest a benefit of the two-dimensional STXS extension at 3000 fb−1.

Measurements of jet cross-section ratios in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions with ATLAS

Measurements of jet cross-section ratios between inclusive bins of jet multiplicity are performed in 140 fb−1 of proton-proton collisions with s=13 TeV center-of-mass energy, recorded with the ATLAS detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. These ratios are constructed from double-differential cross-section measurements that are made in bins of jet multiplicity and other observables that are sensitive the energy scale and angular distribution of radiation due to the strong interaction in the final state. Additionally, the scalar sum of the two leading jets’ transverse momenta is measured triple differentially, in bins of the third jet’s transverse momentum and of jet multiplicity. These measurements are unfolded to account for acceptance and detector-related effects. The measured distributions are used to construct ratios of the inclusive jet-multiplicity bins, which have been shown to be sensitive to the strong coupling αS while being less sensitive than other observables to systematic uncertainties and parton distribution functions. The measured distributions are compared with state-of-the-art QCD calculations, including next-to-next-to-leading-order predictions for two- and three-jet events. These predictions are generally found to model the data well and perform best in bins with a modest requirement on the third jet’s transverse momentum. Significant differences between data and Monte Carlo predictions are observed in events with large rapidity gaps and invariant masses of the leading jet pair. Studies leading to reduced jet energy scale uncertainties significantly improve the precision of this work and are documented herein. © 2024 CERN, for the ATLAS Collaboration 2024 CERN

Discovering neutrino tridents at the Large Hadron Collider

Neutrino trident production of dilepton pairs is well recognized as a sensitive probe of both electroweak physics and physics beyond the Standard Model. Although a rare process, it could be significantly boosted by such new physics, and it also allows the electroweak theory to be tested in a new regime. We demonstrate that the forward neutrino physics program at the Large Hadron Collider offers a promising opportunity to measure for the first time, dimuon neutrino tridents with a statistical significance exceeding 5σ, improving on the previous claims at the ∼3σ level by the CHARM-II and CCFR collaborations while accounting for additional backgrounds later identified by the NuTeV collaboration. We present predictions for various proposed experiments and outline a specific experimental strategy to identify the signal and mitigate backgrounds, based on “reverse tracking” dimuon pairs in the FASERν2 detector. We also discuss prospects for constraining beyond Standard Model contributions to neutrino trident rates at high energies. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Observation of quantum entanglement in top quark pair production in proton-proton collisions ats=13 TeV.

Entanglement is an intrinsic property of quantum mechanics and is predicted to be exhibited in the particles produced at the Large Hadron Collider. A measurement of the extent of entanglement in top quark-antiquark (tt¯) events produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV is performed with the data recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3 fb-1. The events are selected based on the presence of two leptons with opposite charges and high transverse momentum. An entanglement-sensitive observableDis derived from the top quark spin-dependent parts of thett¯production density matrix and measured in the region of thett¯production threshold. Values ofD<-1/3are evidence of entanglement andDis observed (expected) to be-0.480-0.029+0.026(-0.467-0.029+0.026) at the parton level. With an observed significance of 5.1 standard deviations with respect to the non-entangled hypothesis, this provides observation of quantum mechanical entanglement withintt¯pairs in this phase space. This measurement provides a new probe of quantum mechanics at the highest energies ever produced.

Exploring the potential of resonance islands and bent crystals for a slow extraction from circular hadron accelerators

New developments in accelerator physics have broadened the set of available techniques for manipulating charged-particle beams. Adiabatic trapping and transport of a beam in resonance islands has been studied and successfully implemented at the CERN Proton Synchrotron to perform multiturn extraction. Bent crystals have been successfully installed in the CERN Large Hadron Collider, improving the cleaning performance of the collimation system, and at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron for reducing losses at the extraction septum in the case of slow extraction. In this Letter, we discuss the potential of the combined use of resonance islands and bent crystals to devise a technique to perform slow extraction in circular hadron accelerators. The proposed approach is promising, particularly for applications with high-intensity beams, as it could dramatically reduce the losses on the extraction devices. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

What is dark matter and how does the Large Hadron Collider help us understand it?

What is dark matter and how does the Large Hadron Collider help us understand it?

Performance of 3D trench silicon pixel sensors irradiated up to [formula omitted]

Tracking particles at extreme fluences requires the accurate measurement of the charged particle timing at the pixel level in order to cope with the increased occupancy of HL-LHC experiments. Maintaining this precision throughout the operational life of the detector is crucial. This work demonstrates that the 55×55μm2 wide 150μm thick 3D trench-type pixels, developed by the TimeSPOT Collaboration, maintain the performance of non-irradiated sensors even after exposure to fluences as high as 1⋅10171MeVneqcm−2. The preliminary results of a beam test characterization using minimum ionizing particles at the SPS North area beam facility reveal that the charge collection and the time resolution of the irradiated sensors are comparable to those of non-irradiated ones, by increasing the operational bias voltage. A minor reduction in detection efficiency, approximately 4%, is observed post-irradiation. Currently, 3D trench-type pixels are among the fastest pixel detectors available for tracking charged particles and hold significant promise for future tracking system upgrades. This preliminary evaluation suggests their suitability for use in even harsher radiation environments than High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) such as future experiments at the Future Circular Hadron Collider (FCC-hh).