J. Marrouche

End of the CMSSM coannihilation strip is nigh

A recent global fit to the CMSSM incorporating current constraints on supersymmetry, including missing transverse energy searches at the LHC, BR(B_s to mu+ mu-) and the direct XENON100 search for dark matter, favours points towards the end of the stau-neutralino (stau_1- chi) coannihilation strip with relatively large m_1/2 and 10 < tan beta < 40 and points in the H/A rapid-annihilation funnel with tan beta ~ 50. The coannihilation points typically have m_stau_1-m_chi < 5 GeV, and a significant fraction, including the most-favoured point, has m_stau_1-m_chi < m_tau. In such a case, the stau_1 lifetime would be so long that the stau_1 would be detectable as a long-lived massive charged particle that may decay inside or outside the apparatus. We show that CMSSM scenarios close to the tip of the coannihilation strip for tan beta < 40 are already excluded by LHC searches for massive charged particles, and discuss the prospects for their detection in the CMS and ATLAS detectors via time-of-flight measurements, anomalous heavy ionization or decays into one or more soft charged particles.

Framework for model independent analyses of multiple extra quark scenarios

A bstractIn this paper we present an analysis strategy and a dedicated tool to determine the exclusion confidence level for any scenario involving multiple heavy extra quarks with generic decay channels, as predicted in several extensions of the Standard Model. We have created, validated and used a software package, called XQCAT (eXtra Quark Combined Analysis Tool), which is based on publicly available experimental data from direct searches for top partners and from Supersymmetry inspired searches. By means of this code, we recast the limits from CMS on new heavy extra quarks considering a complete set of decay channels. The resulting exclusion confidence levels are presented for some simple scenarios with multiple states and general coupling assumptions. Highlighting the importance of combining multiple topology searches to obtain accurate re-interpretations of the existing searches, we discuss the reach of the SUSY analyses so as to set bounds on new quark resonances. In particular, we report on the re-interpretation of the existing limits on benchmark scenarios with one and multiple pair-produced top partners having non-exclusive couplings to the third Standard Model generation of quarks.

LHC missing-transverse-energy constraints on models with universal extra dimensions

We consider the performance of the ATLAS and CMS searches for events with missing transverse energy, which were originally motivated by supersymmetry, in constraining extensions of the Stan- dard Model based on extra dimensions, in which the mass differences between recurrences at the same level are generically smaller than the mass hierarchies in typical supersymmetric models. We consider first a toy model with pair-production of a single vector-like quark U1 decaying into a spin-zero stable particle A1 and jet, exploring the sensitivity of the CMST and ATLAS meff analysis to MU1 and the U1 A1 mass difference. For this purpose we use versions of the Delphes generic detector simulation with CMS and ATLAS cards, which have been shown to reproduce the published results of CMS and ATLAS searches for supersymmetry. We then explore the sensitivity of these searches to a specific model with two universal extra dimensions, whose signal is dominated by the pair production of quark recurrences, including searches with leptons. We find that the LHC searches have greater sensitivity to this more realistic model, due partly to the contributions of sig- natures with leptons, and partly to events with large missing transverse energy generated by the decays of higher-level Kaluza-Klein recurrences. We find that the CMST analysis with � 5/fb of data at 7 TeV excludes a recurrence scale of 600 GeV at a confidence level above 99%, increasing to 99.9% when combined with the CMS single-lepton search, whereas a recurrence scale of 700 GeV is disfavoured at the 72% confidence level.

XQCAT: eXtra Quark Combined Analysis Tool ☆

XQCAT (eXtra Quark Combined Analysis Tool) is a tool aimed at determining exclusion confidence levels for scenarios of new physics characterised by the presence of one or multiple heavy extra quarks which interact through Yukawa couplings with any of the Standard Model quarks. The code uses a database of efficiencies for pre-simulated processes of QCD-induced pair production of extra quarks and their subsequent on-shell decays. In the version 1.2 of XQCAT the efficiencies have been computed for a set of seven publicly available search results by the CMS experiment. The input for the code is a text file in which masses, branching ratios and dominant chirality of the couplings of the new quarks are provided. The output of the code is the exclusion confidence levels of the test point for each implemented experimental analysis considered individually and, when possible, in statistical combination.

Development and testing of an upgrade to the CMS level-1 calorimeter trigger

When the LHC resumes operation in 2015, the higher centre-of-mass energy and high-luminosity conditions will require significantly more sophisticated algorithms to select interesting physics events within the readout bandwidth limitations. The planned upgrade to the CMS calorimeter trigger will achieve this goal by implementing a flexible system based on the μTCA standard, with modules based on Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGAs and up to 144 optical links running at speeds of 10 Gbps. The upgrade will improve the energy and position resolution of physics objects, enable much improved isolation criteria to be applied to electron and tau objects and facilitate pile-up subtraction to mitigate the effect of the increased number of interactions occurring in each bunch crossing. The design of the upgraded system is summarised with particular emphasis placed on the results of prototype testing and the experience gained which is of general application to the design of such systems.

Triggering on electrons, jets and tau leptons with the CMS upgraded calorimeter trigger for the LHC RUN II

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment has implemented a sophisticated two-level online selection system that achieves a rejection factor of nearly 105. During Run II, the LHC will increase its centre-of-mass energy up to 13 TeV and progressively reach an instantaneous luminosity of 2 × 1034 cm−2 s−1. In order to guarantee a successful and ambitious physics programme under this intense environment, the CMS Trigger and Data acquisition (DAQ) system has been upgraded. A novel concept for the L1 calorimeter trigger is introduced: the Time Multiplexed Trigger (TMT) . In this design, nine main processors receive each all of the calorimeter data from an entire event provided by 18 preprocessors. This design is not different from that of the CMS DAQ and HLT systems. The advantage of the TMT architecture is that a global view and full granularity of the calorimeters can be exploited by sophisticated algorithms. The goal is to maintain the current thresholds for calorimeter objects and improve the performance for their selection. The performance of these algorithms will be demonstrated, both in terms of efficiency and rate reduction. The callenging aspects of the pile-up mitigation and firmware design will be presented.

A demonstrator for a level-1 trigger system based on MicroTCA technology and 5Gb/s optical links

A demonstrator for the CMS Level-1 calorimeter trigger system has been designed, manufactured, tested and a time-multiplexed trigger implemented. The prototype card uses the AMC double width form factor, 5Gb/s links and a Xilinx XC5VTX150T or XC5VTX240T FPGA. A possible implementation of such a trigger architecture in CMS is described.

The CMS Level-1 electron and photon trigger: for Run II of LHC

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) employs a sophisticated two-level online triggering system that has a rejection factor of up to 105. Since the beginning of Run II of LHC, the conditions that CMS operates in have become increasingly challenging. The centre-of-mass energy is now 13 TeV and the instantaneous luminosity currently peaks at 1.5 ×1034 cm−2s−1. In order to keep low physics thresholds and to trigger efficiently in such conditions, the CMS trigger system has been upgraded. A new trigger architecture, the Time Multiplexed Trigger (TMT) has been introduced which allows the full granularity of the calorimeters to be exploited at the first level of the online trigger. The new trigger has also benefited immensely from technological improvements in hardware. Sophisticated algorithms, developed to fully exploit the advantages provided by the new hardware architecture, have been implemented. The new trigger system started taking physics data in 2016 following a commissioning period in 2015, and since then has performed extremely well. The hardware and firmware developments, electron and photon algorithms together with their performance in challenging 2016 conditions is presented.