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Michael H. Seymour

Publications and source records attributed to Michael H. Seymour.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Constraining MPI models using sigma_effective and recent Tevatron and LHC Underlying Event data

We review the modelling of multiple interactions in the event generator Herwig++ and study implications of recent tuning efforts to Tevatron and LHC data. It is often said that measurements of the effective cross section for double-parton scattering, sigma_effective, are in contradiction with models of the final state of multi-parton interactions, but we show that the Herwig++ model is consistent with both and gives stable predictions for underlying event observables at 14 TeV.

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Extracting sigma_effective from the LHCb double-charm measurement

We discuss various issues related to the definition of single and double open charm cross sections. We conclude that LHCb's extraction of sigma_effective, the effective cross section for double-parton scattering, is too large by a factor of two. This correction brings the data from open-charm pairs closer to that from J/psi plus open charm and jet production.

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Monte Carlo Event Generators

Monte Carlo event generators are essential components of almost all experimental analyses and are also widely used by theorists and experiments to make predictions and preparations for future experiments. They are all too often used as "black boxes", without sufficient consideration of their component models or their reliability. In this set of three lectures we hope to open the box and explain the physical bases behind the models they use. We focus primarily on the general features of parton showers, hadronization and underlying event generation.

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Extracting sigma_effective from the CDF gamma+3jets measurement

In their 1997 paper, CDF measured sigma_effective, the normalization factor that relates the cross section for double parton scattering to the product of the inclusive cross sections of the two individual scatters, in a model in which they are assumed to be independent. In his 2007 paper, Treleani pointed out that CDF used a non-standard definition, in which the double parton scattering cross section corresponds to exactly two scatters, rather than the more conventional one in which it is the inclusive two-scatter cross section. He also estimated the correction from one definition to the other, to give a corrected value of sigma_effective. Treleani's form would be correct under the assumption that CDF were able to uniquely identify and count the number of scatters in an event, which is certainly not the case. In this publication we consider CDF's event definition in more detail to provide an improved correction.

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On the breaking of collinear factorization in QCD

We investigate the breakdown of collinear factorization for non-inclusive observables in hadron-hadron collisions. For pure QCD processes, factorization is violated at the three-loop level and it has a structure identical to that encountered previously in the case of super-leading logarithms. In particular, it is driven by the non-commutation of Coulomb/Glauber gluon exchanges with other soft exchanges. Beyond QCD, factorization may be violated at the two-loop level provided that the hard subprocess contains matrix element contributions with phase differences between different colour topologies.

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Jet vetoing and Herwig++

We investigate the simulation of events with gaps between jets with a veto on additional radiation in the gap in Herwig++. We discover that the currently-used random treatment of radiation in the parton shower is generating some unphysical behaviour for wide-angle gluon emission in QCD 2 to 2 scatterings. We explore this behaviour quantitatively by making the same assumptions as the parton shower in the analytical calculation. We then modify the parton shower algorithm in order to correct the simulation of QCD radiation.

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The dijet cross section with a jet veto

We study dijet production in proton-proton collisions with a veto on the emission of a third jet in the rapidity region in between the two leading ones. We resum the leading logarithms in the ratio of the transverse momentum of the leading jets and the veto scale and we match this result to leading-order QCD matrix elements. We find that, in order to obtain sensible results, we have to modify the resummation and take into account energy-momentum conservation effects. We compare our theoretical predictions for the gap fraction to experimental data measured by the ATLAS collaboration and find good agreement, although our results are affected by large theoretical uncertainties. We then discuss differences and similarities of our calculation to other theoretical approaches.

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General-purpose event generators for LHC physics

We review the physics basis, main features and use of general-purpose Monte Carlo event generators for the simulation of proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. Topics included are: the generation of hard-scattering matrix elements for processes of interest, at both leading and next-to-leading QCD perturbative order; their matching to approximate treatments of higher orders based on the showering approximation; the parton and dipole shower formulations; parton distribution functions for event generators; non-perturbative aspects such as soft QCD collisions, the underlying event and diffractive processes; the string and cluster models for hadron formation; the treatment of hadron and tau decays; the inclusion of QED radiation and beyond-Standard-Model processes. We describe the principal features of the ARIADNE, Herwig++, PYTHIA 8 and SHERPA generators, together with the Rivet and Professor validation and tuning tools, and discuss the physics philosophy behind the proper use of these generators and tools. This review is aimed at phenomenologists wishing to understand better how parton-level predictions are translated into hadron-level events as well as experimentalists wanting a deeper insight into the tools available for signal and background simulation at the LHC.

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Quantum ChromoDynamics

These lectures on QCD stress the theoretical elements that underlie a wide range of phenomenological studies, particularly gauge invariance, renormalization, factorization and infrared safety. The three parts cover the basics of QCD, QCD at tree level and higher order corrections.

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Monte Carlo for the LHC

I review the status of the general-purpose Monte Carlo event generators for the LHC, with emphasis on areas of recent physics developments. There has been great progress, especially in multi-jet simulation, but I mention some question marks that have recently arisen.

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Soft interactions in Herwig++

We describe the recent developments to extend the multi-parton interaction model of underlying events in Herwig++ into the soft, non-perturbative, regime. This allows the program to describe also minimum bias collisions in which there is no hard interaction, for the first time. It is publicly available from versions 2.3 onwards and describes the Tevatron underlying event and minimum bias data. The extrapolations to the LHC nevertheless suffer considerable ambiguity, as we discuss.

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Non-perturbative effects in the transverse momentum distribution of electroweak bosons at the LHC

The transverse momentum of electroweak bosons in a Drell-Yan process is an important quantity for the experimental program at the LHC. The new model of non-perturbative gluon emission in an initial state parton shower presented in this note gives a good description of this quantity for the data taken in previous experiments over a wide range of CM energy. The model's prediction for the transverse momentum distribution of Z bosons for the LHC is presented and used for a comparison with other approaches.

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Super-leading logarithms in non-global observables in QCD: Fixed order calculation

Super-leading logarithmic terms have previously been observed in non-global QCD observables. In this paper we re-calculate the first super-leading contribution to the `gaps between jets' cross-section using a diagrammatic fixed order approach. We calculate for the first time the super-leading contribution at fifth order in alpha_s.

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The Underlying Event and the Total Cross Section from Tevatron to the LHC

Multiple partonic interactions are widely used to simulate the hadronic final state in high energy hadronic collisions, and successfully describe many features of the data. It is important to make maximum use of the available physical constraints on such models, particularly given the large extrapolation from current high energy data to LHC energies. In eikonal models, the rate of multiparton interactions is coupled to the energy dependence of the total cross section. Using a Monte Carlo implementation of such a model, we study the connection between the total cross section, the jet cross section, and the underlying event. By imposing internal consistency on the model, we derive constraints on its parameters at the LHC. By imposing internal consistency on the model and comparing to current data we constrain the allowed range of its parameters. We show that measurements of the total proton-proton cross-section at the LHC are likely to break this internal consistency, and thus to require an extension of the model. Likely such extensions are that hard scatters probe a denser matter distribution inside the proton in impact parameter space than soft scatters, a conclusion also supported by Tevatron data on double-parton scattering, and/or that the basic parameters of the model are energy dependent.

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Symmetry of anomalous dimension matrices explained

In a previous paper, one of us pointed out that the anomalous dimension matrices for all physical processes that have been calculated to date are complex symmetric, if stated in an orthonormal basis. In this paper we prove this fact and show that it is only true in a subset of all possible orthonormal bases, but that this subset is the natural one to use for physical calculations.

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Underlying events in Herwig++

In this contribution we describe the new model of multiple partonic interactions (MPI) that has been implemented in Herwig++. Tuning its two free parameters is enough to find a good description of CDF underlying event data. We show extrapolations to the LHC and compare them to results from other models.

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Multiple Interactions in Herwig++

In this contribution we describe a new model of multiple partonic interactions that has been implemented in Herwig++. Tuning its two free parameters we find a good description of CDF underlying event data. We show extrapolations to the LHC and discuss intrinsic PDF uncertainties.

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Simulation of multiple partonic interactions in Herwig++

In this paper we describe a new model of multiple partonic interactions that has been implemented in Herwig++. Tuning its two free parameters we find a good description of CDF underlying event data. We show extrapolations to the LHC.

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