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arXiv · 2601.17576

Search for the pair production of long-lived supersymmetric partners of the tau lepton in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

Abstract

Gauge-mediated supersymmetry-breaking models provide a strong motivation to search for a supersymmetric partner of the tau lepton (stau) with a macroscopic lifetime. Long-lived stau decays produce tau leptons that are displaced from the primary proton-proton interaction vertex, leading to an unconventional signature. This paper presents a search for the direct production of long-lived staus decaying within the CMS tracker volume in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, performed for the first time with an identification algorithm based on a graph neural network dedicated to displaced tau leptons. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{-1}$, was recorded with the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC between 2016 and 2018. This search excludes, at 95% confidence level, stau masses, $m_\tilde{\tau}$, in the 126$-$260 (90$-$425) GeV range for a proper decay length of 50 mm in the maximally mixed (mass-degenerate) scenario, while for $m_\tilde{\tau} $ = 200 GeV, stau proper decay lengths are excluded in the range 21$-$94 (6$-$333) mm. These results improve the exclusion limits compared to previous searches, and extend the parameter space explored in the context of supersymmetry.

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BibTeXRIS

CMS Collaboration. 2026-01-24. Search for the pair production of long-lived supersymmetric partners of the tau lepton in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep07(2026)102

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