arXiv subjects

Hou Keong Lou

Publications and source records attributed to Hou Keong Lou.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

PHOTON-2017 conference proceedings

This document collects the proceedings of the PHOTON 2017 conference ("International Conference on the Structure and the Interactions of the Photon", including the 22th "International Workshop on Photon-Photon Collisions", and the "International Workshop on High Energy Photon Colliders") held at CERN (Geneva) in May 2017. The latest experimental and theoretical developments on the topics of the PHOTON conference series are covered: (i) $γ\,γ$ processes in e$^+$e$^-$, proton-proton (pp) and nucleus-nucleus (AA) collisions at current and future colliders, (ii) $γ$-hadron interactions in e$^\pm$p, pp, and AA collisions, (iii) final-state photon production (including Standard Model studies and searches beyond it) in pp and AA collisions, and (iv) high-energy $γ$-ray astrophysics. These proceedings are dedicated to the memory of Maria Krawczyk.

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arXiv2018

Astrophysical Signatures of Asymmetric Dark Matter Bound States

Nuggets---very large stable bound objects arising in the presence of a sufficiently attractive and long-range force and in the absence of a dark Coulomb force---are a smoking gun signature for Asymmetric Dark Matter (ADM). The cosmology of ADM nuggets is both generic and unique: nuggets feature highly exothermic fusion processes, which can impact the shape of the core in galaxies, as well as give rise to rare dark star formation. We find, considering the properties of nuggets in a generic extended nuclear model with both attractive and repulsive forces, that self-interaction constraints place an upper bound on nugget masses at the freeze-out of synthesis in the ballpark of $M_{\rm fo} \lesssim 10^{16}$ GeV. We also show that indirect detection strongly constrains models where the scalar mediator binding the nuggets mixes with the Higgs.

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arXiv2017

LHC Searches for Dark Sector Showers

This paper proposes a new search program for dark sector parton showers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These signatures arise in theories characterized by strong dynamics in a hidden sector, such as Hidden Valley models. A dark parton shower can be composed of both invisible dark matter particles as well as dark sector states that decay to Standard Model particles via a portal. The focus here is on the specific case of 'semi-visible jets,' jet-like collider objects where the visible states in the shower are Standard Model hadrons. We present a Simplified Model-like parametrization for the LHC observables and propose targeted search strategies for regions of parameter space that are not covered by existing analyses. Following the 'mono-$X$' literature, the portal is modeled using either an effective field theoretic contact operator approach or with one of two ultraviolet completions; sensitivity projections are provided for all three cases. We additionally highlight that the LHC has a unique advantage over direct detection experiments in the search for this class of dark matter theories.

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arXiv2017

Tracking down Quirks at the Large Hadron Collider

Non-helical tracks are the smoking gun signature of charged and/or colored quirks, which are pairs of particles bound by a new, long-range confining force. We propose a method to efficiently search for these non-helical tracks at the LHC, without the need to fit their trajectories. We show that the hits corresponding to quirky trajectories can be selected efficiently by searching for co-planar hits in the inner layers of the ATLAS and CMS trackers, even in the presence of on average 50 pile-up vertices. We further argue that backgrounds from photon conversions and unassociated pile-up hits can be removed almost entirely, while maintaining a signal reconstruction efficiency as high as 70%. With the 300 fb$^{-1}$ dataset, this implies a discovery potential for string tension between 100 eV and 30 keV, and colored (electroweak charged) quirks as heavy as 1600 (650) GeV may be discovered.

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arXiv2017

LHC limits on axion-like particles from heavy-ion collisions

In these proceedings we use recent LHC heavy-ion data to set a limit on axion-like particles coupling to electromagnetism with mass in the range 10-100 GeV. We recast ATLAS data as per the strategy proposed in 1607.06083, and find results in-line with the projections given there.

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arXiv2017

Making Asymmetric Dark Matter Gold: Early Universe Synthesis of Nuggets

We compute the mass function of bound states of Asymmetric Dark Matter--nuggets--synthesized in the early Universe. We apply our results for the nugget density and binding energy computed from a nuclear model to obtain analytic estimates of the typical nugget size exiting synthesis. We numerically solve the Boltzmann equation for synthesis including two-to-two fusion reactions, estimating the impact of bottlenecks on the mass function exiting synthesis. These results provide the basis for studying the late Universe cosmology of nuggets in a future companion paper.

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arXiv2017

Nuclear Structure of Bound States of Asymmetric Dark Matter

Models of Asymmetric Dark Matter (ADM) with a sufficiently attractive and long-range force gives rise to stable bound objects, analogous to nuclei in the Standard Model, called nuggets. We study the properties of these nuggets and compute their profiles and binding energies. Our approach, applicable to both elementary and composite fermionic ADM, utilizes relativistic mean field theory, and allows a more systematic computation of nugget properties, over a wider range of sizes and force mediator masses, compared to previous literature. We identify three separate regimes of nugget property behavior corresponding to (1) non-relativistic and (2) relativistic constituents in a Coulomb-like limit, and (3) saturation in an anti-Coulomb limit when the nuggets are large compared to the force range. We provide analytical descriptions for nuggets in each regime. Through numerical calculations, we are able to confirm our analytic descriptions and also obtain smooth transitions for the nugget profiles between all three regimes. We also find that over a wide range of parameter space, the binding energy in the saturation limit is an ${\cal O}(1)$ fraction of the constituent's mass, significantly larger than expectations in the non-relativistic case. In a companion paper, we apply our results to synthesis of ADM nuggets in the early Universe.

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arXiv2017

Searching for axion-like particles with ultra-peripheral heavy-ion collisions

We show that ultra-peripheral heavy-ion collisions at the LHC can be used to search for axion-like particles with mass below 100 GeV. The $Z^4$ enhanced photon-photon luminosity from the ions provides a large exclusive production rate, with a signature of a resonant pair of back-to-back photons and no other activity in the detector. In addition, we present both new and updated limits from recasting multi-photon searches at LEP II and the LHC, which are more stringent than those currently in the literature for the mass range 100 MeV to 100 GeV.

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arXiv2016

GUTzilla Dark Matter

Motivated by gauge coupling unification and dark matter, we present an extension to the Standard Model where both are achieved by adding an extra new matter multiplet. Such considerations lead to a Grand Unified Theory with very heavy WIMPzilla dark matter, which has mass greater than ~10^7 GeV and must be produced before reheating ends. Naturally, we refer to this scenario as GUTzilla dark matter. Here we present a minimal GUTzilla model, adding a vector-like quark multiplet to the Standard Model. Proton decay constraints require the new multiplet to be both color and electroweak charged, which prompts us to include a new confining SU(3) gauge group that binds the multiplet into a neutral composite dark matter candidate. Current direct detection constraints are evaded due to the large dark matter mass; meanwhile, next-generation direct detection and proton decay experiments will probe much of the parameter space. The relic abundance is strongly dependent on the dynamics of the hidden confining sector, and we show that dark matter production during the epoch of reheating can give the right abundance.

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arXiv2016

Folded Supersymmetry with a Twist

Folded supersymmetry (f-SUSY) stabilizes the weak scale against radiative corrections from the top sector via scalar partners whose gauge quantum numbers differ from their Standard Model counterparts. This non-trivial pairing of states can be realized in extra-dimensional theories with appropriate supersymmetry-breaking boundary conditions. We present a class of calculable f-SUSY models that are parametrized by a non-trivial twist in 5D boundary conditions and can accommodate the observed Higgs mass and couplings. Although the distinctive phenomenology associated with the novel folded states should provide strong evidence for this mechanism, the most stringent constraints are currently placed by conventional supersymmetry searches. These models remain minimally fine-tuned in light of LHC8 data and provide a range of both standard and exotic signatures accessible at LHC13.

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arXiv2015

Semi-visible Jets: Dark Matter Undercover at the LHC

The dark matter may be a composite particle that is accessible via a weakly coupled portal. If these hidden-sector states are produced at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), they would undergo a QCD-like shower. This would result in a spray of stable invisible dark matter along with unstable states that decay back to the Standard Model. Such "semi-visible" jets arise, for example, when their production and decay are driven by a leptophobic $Z'$ resonance; the resulting signature is characterized by significant missing energy aligned along the direction of one of the jets. These events are vetoed by the current suite of searches employed by the LHC, resulting in low acceptance. This Letter will demonstrate that the transverse mass---computed using the final-state jets and the missing energy---provides a powerful discriminator between the signal and the QCD background. Assuming that the $Z'$ couples to the Standard Model quarks with the same strength as the $Z^0$, the proposed search can discover (exclude) $Z'$ masses up to 2.5 TeV (3.5 TeV) with 100 fb$^{-1}$ of 14 TeV data at the LHC.

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arXiv2015

The Higgs Portal Above Threshold

The discovery of the Higgs boson opens the door to new physics interacting via the Higgs Portal, including motivated scenarios relating to baryogenesis, dark matter, and electroweak naturalness. We systematically explore the collider signatures of singlet scalars produced via the Higgs Portal at the 14 TeV LHC and a prospective 100 TeV hadron collider. We focus on the challenging regime where the scalars are too heavy to be produced in the decays of an on-shell Higgs boson, and instead are produced primarily via an off-shell Higgs. Assuming these scalars escape the detector, promising channels include missing energy in association with vector boson fusion, monojets, and top pairs. We forecast the sensitivity of searches in these channels at $\sqrt{s} = 14$ & 100 TeV and compare collider reach to the motivated parameter space of singlet-assisted electroweak baryogenesis, Higgs Portal dark matter, and neutral naturalness.

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arXiv2014

Jet Substructure Templates: Data-driven QCD Backgrounds for Fat Jet Searches

QCD is often the dominant background to new physics searches for which jet substructure provides a useful handle. Due to the challenges associated with modeling this background, data-driven approaches are necessary. This paper presents a novel method for determining QCD predictions using templates -- probability distribution functions for jet substructure properties as a function of kinematic inputs. Templates can be extracted from a control region and then used to compute background distributions in the signal region. Using Monte Carlo, we illustrate the procedure with two case studies and show that the template approach effectively models the relevant QCD background. This work strongly motivates the application of these techniques to LHC data.

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arXiv2014

Boosting Stop Searches with a 100 TeV Proton Collider

A proton-proton collider with center of mass energy around 100 TeV is the energy frontier machine that is likely to succeed the LHC. One of the primary physics goals will be the continued exploration of weak scale naturalness. Here we focus on the pair-production of stops that decay to a top and a neutralino. Most of the heavy stop parameter space results in highly boosted tops, populating kinematic regimes inaccessible at the LHC. New strategies for boosted top-tagging are needed and a simple, detector-independent tagger can be constructed by requiring a muon inside a jet. Assuming 20% systematic uncertainties, this future collider can discover (exclude) stops with masses up to 6.5 (8) TeV with 3000 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity. Studying how the exclusion limits scale with luminosity motivates going beyond this benchmark in order to saturate the discovery potential of the machine.

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arXiv2014

Scherk-Schwarz Supersymmetry Breaking in 4D

Using the techniques of dimensional deconstruction, we present 4D models that fully reproduce the physics of 5D supersymmetric theories compactified on an S^1/Z_2 orbifold with general Scherk-Schwarz supersymmetry breaking (SSSB) boundary conditions. In contrast to previous approaches, our deconstruction involves only soft supersymmetry breaking. Deconstruction preserves many of the attractive features of SSSB without the cumbersome architecture of a full fifth dimension, ambiguity of the ultraviolet completion, or challenges associated with stabilizing a large radius of compactification. We proceed to deconstruct various five-dimensional models featuring Scherk-Schwarz boundary conditions, including folded supersymmetry.

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arXiv2013

Data Driven Search in the Displaced $b\bar{b}$ Pair Channel for a Higgs Boson Decaying to Long-Lived Neutral Particles

This article presents a proposal for a new search channel for the Higgs boson decaying to two long-lived neutral particles, each of which decays to $b\bar b$ at a displaced vertex. The decay length considered is such that the decay takes place within the LHC beampipe. We present a new data-driven analysis using jet substructure and properties of the tracks from the highly-displaced vertices. We consider a model with a 125 GeV Higgs boson with a significant branching fraction to decay via this mode, with the long-lived neutral particle having a mass in the range of 15--40 GeV and a decay length commensurate with the beam pipe radius. Such a signal can be readily observed with an integrated luminosity of 19.5 fb$^{-1}$ at 8TeV at the LHC.

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arXiv2013

Jet Substructure by Accident

We propose a new search strategy for high-multiplicity hadronic final states. When new particles are produced at threshold, the distribution of their decay products is approximately isotropic. If there are many partons in the final state, it is likely that several will be clustered into the same large-radius jet. The resulting jet exhibits substructure, even though the parent states are not boosted. This "accidental" substructure is a powerful discriminant against background because it is more pronounced for high-multiplicity signals than for QCD multijets. We demonstrate how to take advantage of accidental substructure to reduce backgrounds without relying on the presence of missing energy. As an example, we present the expected limits for several R-parity violating gluino decay topologies. This approach allows for the determination of QCD backgrounds using data-driven methods, which is crucial for the feasibility of any search that targets signatures with many jets and suppressed missing energy.

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