arXiv subjects

Jay G. Wacker

Publications and source records attributed to Jay G. Wacker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2015

The SIMPlest Miracle

It has recently been proposed that dark matter could be a thermal relic of 3-to-2 scatterings in a strongly coupled hidden sector. We present explicit classes of strongly coupled gauge theories that admit this behavior. These are QCD-like theories of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking, where the pions play the role of dark matter. The number-changing 3-to-2 process, which sets the dark matter relic abundance, arises from the Wess-Zumino-Witten term. The theories give an explicit relationship between the 3-to-2 annihilation rate and the 2-to-2 self-scattering rate, which alters predictions for structure formation. This is a simple calculable realization of the strongly-interacting-massive-particle (SIMP) mechanism.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

The SIMP Miracle

We present a new paradigm for achieving thermal relic dark matter. The mechanism arises when a nearly secluded dark sector is thermalized with the Standard Model after reheating. The freezeout process is a number-changing 3->2 annihilation of strongly-interacting-massive-particles (SIMPs) in the dark sector, and points to sub-GeV dark matter. The couplings to the visible sector, necessary for maintaining thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model, imply measurable signals that will allow coverage of a significant part of the parameter space with future indirect- and direct-detection experiments and via direct production of dark matter at colliders. Moreover, 3->2 annihilations typically predict sizable 2->2 self-interactions which naturally address the `core vs. cusp' and `too-big-to-fail' small structure problems.

hep-ph↗

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.

hep-ph↗

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.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

SUSY Simplified Models at 14, 33, and 100 TeV Proton Colliders

Results are presented for a variety of SUSY Simplified Models at the 14 TeV LHC as well as a 33 and 100 TeV proton collider. Our focus is on models whose signals are driven by colored production. We present projections of the upper limit and discovery reach in the gluino-neutralino (for both light and heavy flavor decays), squark-neutralino, and gluino-squark Simplified Model planes. Depending on the model a jets + MET, mono-jet, or same-sign di-lepton search is applied. The impact of pileup is explored. This study utilizes the Snowmass backgrounds and combined detector. Assuming 3000 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity, a gluino that decays to light flavor quarks can be discovered below 2.3 TeV at the 14 TeV LHC and below 11 TeV at a 100 TeV machine.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Measuring the tth coupling from SSDL+2b measurements

We evaluate the potential of a dedicated search for tth production in the SSDL+2b channel. Such a measurement provides direct access to the top Yukawa coupling, since the sensitivity is not convolved with the loop-level h-gamma-gamma or poorly known hbb coupling, as is the case for present tth searches. Furthermore, susceptibility to uncertainties in the Higgs width can be reduced by considering a ratio of SSDL+2b rates with those of the performed Wh -> WWW* measurement. The SSDL channel can therefore rely primarily on the already well-measured h->WW* decay. This feasibility study required the development of a new calculation method for "fake" leptons, which constitute the dominant background to our search. Combining measurements from LHC7, LHC8 and in the future LHC14 for the Higgs coupling fit would help resolve any remaining ambiguity between the top Yukawa coupling and a BSM contribution to the hgg coupling.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

A Comparison of Future Proton Colliders Using SUSY Simplified Models: A Snowmass Whitepaper

We present a summary of results for SUSY Simplified Model searches at future proton colliders: the 14 TeV LHC as well as a 33 TeV proton collider and a 100 TeV proton collider. Upper limits and discovery significances are provided for the gluino-neutralino (for both light and heavy flavor decays), squark-neutralino, and gluino-squark Simplified Model planes. Events are processed with the Snowmass combined detector and Standard Model backgrounds are computed using the Snowmass samples. We place emphasis on comparisons between different collider scenarios, along with the lessons learned regarding the impact of systematic errors and pileup. More details are provided in a companion paper.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Exploring the dark side of the top Yukawa

We investigate simple extensions of the Standard Model that could lead to the negative values of the top Yukawa coupling still allowed by the ATLAS Higgs results. Integrating out tree-level new physics generates dimension six operators that can lead to large changes to the top Yukawa couplings. If the top Yukawa coupling is negative, there is new physics beneath the TeV scale. We illustrate the simplest models still allowed by current searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Methods and Results for Standard Model Event Generation at $\sqrt{s}$ = 14 TeV, 33 TeV and 100 TeV Proton Colliders (A Snowmass Whitepaper)

This document describes the novel techniques used to simulate the common Snowmass 2013 Energy Frontier Standard Model backgrounds for future hadron colliders. The purpose of many Energy Frontier studies is to explore the reach of high luminosity data sets at a variety of high energy colliders. The generation of high statistics samples which accurately model large integrated luminosities for multiple center-of-mass energies and pile-up environments is not possible using an unweighted event generation strategy -- an approach which relies on event weighting was necessary. Even with these improvements in efficiency, extensive computing resources were required. This document describes the specific approach to event generation using Madgraph5 to produce parton-level processes, followed by parton showering and hadronization with Pythia6, and pile-up and detector simulation with Delphes3. The majority of Standard Model processes for pp interactions at $\sqrt(s)$ = 14, 33, and 100 TeV with 0, 50, and 140 additional pile-up interactions are publicly available.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

Here be Dragons: The Unexplored Continents of the CMSSM

The Higgs boson mass and the abundance of dark matter constrain the CMSSM/mSUGRA supersymmetry breaking inputs. A complete map of the CMSSM that is consistent with these two measured quantities is provided. Various "continents," consisting of non-excluded models, can be organized by their dark matter dynamics. The following mechanisms manifest: well-tempering, resonant pseudo-scalar Higgs annihilation, neutralino/stau coannihilations and neutralino/stop coannihilations. Benchmark models are chosen in order to characterize the viable regions. The expected visible signals of each are described, demonstrating a wide range of predictions for the 13 TeV LHC and a high degree of complementarity between dark matter and collider experiments. The parameter space spans a finite volume, which can be probed in its entirety with experiments currently under consideration.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Learning How to Count: A High Multiplicity Search for the LHC

We introduce a search technique that is sensitive to a broad class of signals with large final state multiplicities. Events are clustered into large radius jets and jet substructure techniques are used to count the number of subjets within each jet. The search consists of a cut on the total number of subjets in the event as well as the summed jet mass and missing energy. Two different techniques for counting subjets are described and expected sensitivities are presented for eight benchmark signals. These signals exhibit diverse phenomenology, including 2-step cascade decays, direct three body decays, and multi-top final states. We find improved sensitivity to these signals as compared to previous high multiplicity searches as well as a reduced reliance on missing energy requirements. One benefit of this approach is that it allows for natural data driven estimates of the QCD background.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Snowmass Energy Frontier Simulations

This document describes the simulation framework used in the Snowmass Energy Frontier studies for future Hadron Colliders. An overview of event generation with {\sc Madgraph}5 along with parton shower and hadronization with {\sc Pythia}6 is followed by a detailed description of pile-up and detector simulation with {\sc Delphes}3. Details of event generation are included in a companion paper cited within this paper. The input parametrization is chosen to reflect the best object performance expected from the future ATLAS and CMS experiments; this is referred to as the "Combined Snowmass Detector". We perform simulations of $pp$ interactions at center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{s}=$ 14, 33, and 100 TeV with 0, 50, and 140 additional $pp$ pile-up interactions. The object performance with multi-TeV $pp$ collisions are studied for the first time using large pile-up interactions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Illuminating the 130 GeV Gamma Line with Continuum Photons

There is evidence for a 130 GeV gamma-ray line at the Galactic Center in the Fermi Large Area Telescope data. Dark matter candidates that explain this feature should also annihilate to Standard Model particles, resulting in a continuous spectrum of photons. To study this continuum, we analyze the Fermi data down to 5 GeV, restricted to the inner 3 degrees of the Galaxy. We place a strong bound on the ratio of continuum photons to monochromatic line photons that is independent of uncertainties in the dark matter density profile. The derived constraints exclude neutralino dark matter as an explanation for the line.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

High Multiplicity Searches at the LHC Using Jet Masses

This article introduces a new class of searches for physics beyond the Standard Model that improves the sensitivity to signals with high jet multiplicity. The proposed searches gain access to high multiplicity signals by reclustering events into large-radius, or "fat," jets and by requiring that each event has multiple massive jets. This technique is applied to supersymmetric scenarios in which gluinos are pair-produced and then subsequently decay to final states with either moderate quantities of missing energy or final states without missing energy. In each of these scenarios, the use of jet mass improves the estimated reach in gluino mass by 20 % to 50 % over current LHC searches.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

A New Theory of Anyons

We study a 2+1 dimensional theory of bosons and fermions with an omega ~ k^2 dispersion relation. The most general interactions consistent with specific symmetries impart fractional statistics to the fermions. Unlike examples involving Chern-Simons gauge theories, our statistical phases derive from the exchange of gapless propagating bosons with marginal interactions. Even though no gap exists, we show that the anyonic statistics are precisely defined. Symmetries combine with the vacuum structure to guarantee the non-renormalization of our anyonic phases.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

Dark Matter in 3D

We discuss the relevance of directional detection experiments in the post-discovery era and propose a method to extract the local dark matter phase space distribution from directional data. The first feature of this method is a parameterization of the dark matter distribution function in terms of integrals of motion, which can be analytically extended to infer properties of the global distribution if certain equilibrium conditions hold. The second feature of our method is a decomposition of the distribution function in moments of a model independent basis, with minimal reliance on the ansatz for its functional form. We illustrate our method using the Via Lactea II N-body simulation as well as an analytical model for the dark matter halo. We conclude that O(1000) events are necessary to measure deviations from the Standard Halo Model and constrain or measure the presence of anisotropies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Jet Dipolarity: Top Tagging with Color Flow

A new jet observable, dipolarity, is introduced that can distinguish whether a pair of subjets arises from a color singlet source. This observable is incorporated into the HEPTopTagger and is shown to improve discrimination between top jets and QCD jets for moderate to high pT.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Heavy Flavor Simplified Models at the LHC

We consider a comprehensive set of simplified models that contribute to final states with top and bottom quarks at the LHC. These simplified models are used to create minimal search strategies that ensure optimal coverage of new heavy flavor physics involving the pair production of color octets and triplets. We provide a set of benchmarks that are representative of model space, which can be used by experimentalists to perform their own optimization of search strategies. For data sets larger than 1/fb, same-sign dilepton and 3b search regions become very powerful. Expected sensitivities from existing and optimized searches are given.

hep-ph↗