Arnav Chauhan | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Radiative Signature of New Scalar Boson Decays in the $m_{\ell \ell \gamma}$ Spectrum at the LHC

We investigate the radiative decay $S \to W^+W^-\gamma$ in the context of the multi-lepton anomalies and recent indications of a narrow scalar resonance near $m_S = 152 \pm 1~\text{GeV}$ in the $\gamma\gamma$, $Z\gamma$, and $W^+W^-$ channels at the Large Hadron Collider. These excesses arise in final states containing leptons, missing transverse momentum, and associated $b$-jets, and motivate a search for a corresponding localized excess in the invariant-mass spectrum of the dilepton--photon system, $m_{\ell\ell\gamma}$, in events with associated $b$-jets. We use recent CMS measurements of the ${t\bar{t}}\gamma$ differential cross sections~\cite{CMS:2025zbe} to study the $m_{\ell\ell\gamma}$ spectrum and perform a search for a scalar-resonance contribution. A localized excess is observed, compatible with the scalar-resonance hypothesis, with a global significance of $2.7\sigma$ at $m_S = 152~\text{GeV}$. This result provides additional support for the hypothesis of a narrow resonance. The ratio $\sigma(S \to W^+W^-\gamma)/\sigma(S \to W^+W^-) = (2.14 \pm 0.77)$\% is extracted. This value is compatible with an enhanced radiative contribution that could arise in scenarios beyond the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

A new approach to long-lived particle detection at hadron colliders: the $\textsf{DELIGHT-SHIELD}$ concept

We propose a fundamental shift in the search for beyond the Standard Model long-lived particles (LLPs) at high-luminosity hadron colliders by prioritizing physical background suppression over traditional inner tracking. We introduce $\textsf{DELIGHT-SHIELD}$, a dedicated detector design for a 100 TeV Future Circular Collider at a dedicated interaction point for LLP searches. By replacing the inner parts of the detector with a multi-layered composite shield, followed by tracking volumes, we estimate a suppression of Standard Model hadronic and electromagnetic backgrounds by up to seven orders of magnitude analytically. Full Geant4 simulations validate the effectiveness of this design. Although the achieved suppression is somewhat lower than the analytical estimate, primarily due to secondary particle production within the shield, the residual background remains at a level that is manageable for LLP analyses. It can be further mitigated by applying energy thresholds, as well as vertexing and timing cuts in the downstream detector. Benchmarking against dark scalar model, we show that this shielding based detector concept achieves sensitivity to branching ratios as low as $\mathcal{O}(10^{-9})$ for $h\rightarrow\phi\phi$ process under zero background condition $-$ outperforming general-purpose detector baselines. This strategy not only expands the discovery reach for neutral LLPs but also provides a rigorous experimental handle to distinguish new physics from Standard Model punch-through backgrounds. We further discuss a phased implementation at the High-Luminosity LHC as a critical testbed for this novel detection concept.

hep-ph↗