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Valerie Halyo

Publications and source records attributed to Valerie Halyo.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Massively Parallel Computing at the Large Hadron Collider up to the HL-LHC

As the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) continues its upward progression in energy and luminosity towards the planned High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) in 2025, the challenges of the experiments in processing increasingly complex events will also continue to increase. Improvements in computing technologies and algorithms will be a key part of the advances necessary to meet this challenge. Parallel computing techniques, especially those using massively parallel computing (MPC), promise to be a significant part of this effort. In these proceedings, we discuss these algorithms in the specific context of a particularly important problem: the reconstruction of charged particle tracks in the trigger algorithms in an experiment, in which high computing performance is critical for executing the track reconstruction in the available time. We discuss some areas where parallel computing has already shown benefits to the LHC experiments, and also demonstrate how a MPC-based trigger at the CMS experiment could not only improve performance, but also extend the reach of the CMS trigger system to capture events which are currently not practical to reconstruct at the trigger level.

physics.ins-det↗

Don't Miss the Displaced Higgs at the LHC Again

A signature often found in non-minimal Higgs sectors is Higgs decay to a new gauge-singlet scalar, followed by decays of the singlets into Standard Model fermions through small mixing angles. The scalar decay can naturally be displaced from the primary vertex. The present experimental constraints on such models are extremely weak, due to low (or zero) trigger rates for the resulting low $p_T$ displaced jets. In this letter, we highlight the advantages of integrating into the trigger system massively parallel computing and coprocessors based on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) or the Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture. In particular, if such coprocessors are added to the LHC experiments' high level trigger systems, a fast Hough transform based triggers performed on this hardware would result in significant improvement to displaced searches, sufficient to discover long-lived Higgs models with a small amount of luminosity in Run II at the 14 TeV LHC.

hep-ph↗

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.

hep-ph↗

HERWIRI2: Exponentiated Electroweak Corrections in a Hadronic Event Generator

Reaching the desired precision level for W and Z processes at the LHC will require a mixture of higher-order QCD and electroweak corrections. HERWIRI2 is a step in implementing QED x QCD exponentiation in a hadronic event generator. This program implements leading electroweak corrections and coherent exclusive exponentiation in a HERWIG environment. We discuss the status of the program, recent tests, and future developments.

hep-ph↗

HERWIRI2: CEEX Electroweak Corrections in a Hadronic MC

Reaching the 1% precision level for W and Z production calculations for the LHC will require a mixture of higher order QCD and electroweak corrections. As a first step toward implementing the combined QED\otimesQCD exponentiation proposed in previous work, we have implemented the order alpha electroweak corrections and YFS exponentiation structure of the KK Monte Carlo in HERWIG. We discuss the current status of this program and sketch the further developments needed to reach the desired precision level.

hep-ph↗

Theoretical Uncertainties in Electroweak Boson Production Cross Sections at 7, 10, and 14 TeV at the LHC

We present an updated study of the systematic errors in the measurements of the electroweak boson cross-sections at the LHC for various experimental cuts for a center of mass energy of 7, 10 and 14 TeV. The size of both electroweak and NNLO QCD contributions are estimated, together with the systematic error from the parton distributions. The effects of new versions of the MSTW, CTEQ, and NNPDF PDFs are considered.

hep-ph↗

Evaluation of the Theoretical Uncertainties in the W to Lepton and Neutrino Cross Sections at the LHC

We study the sources of systematic errors in the measurement of the W to lepton and neutrino cross-sections at the LHC. We consider the systematic errors in both the total cross-section and acceptance for anticipated experimental cuts. We include the best available analysis of QCD effects at NNLO in assessing the effect of higher order corrections and PDF and scale uncertainties on the theoretical acceptance. In addition, we evaluate the error due to missing NLO electroweak corrections and propose which MC generators and computational schemes should be implemented to best simulate the events.

hep-ph↗

Evaluation of the Theoretical Uncertainties in the Z to ll Cross Sections at the LHC

We study the sources of systematic errors in the measurement of the Z to ll cross-sections at the LHC. We consider the systematic errors in both the total cross-section and acceptance for anticipated experimental cuts. We include the best available analysis of QCD effects at NNLO in assessing the effect of higher order corrections and PDF and scale uncertainties on the theoretical acceptance. In addition, we evaluate the error due to missing NLO electroweak corrections and propose which MC generators and computational schemes should be implemented to best simulate the events.

hep-ph↗

BaBar Level 1 Drift Chamber Trigger Upgrade

As PEP-II is exceeding the original design luminosity, BaBar is currently upgrading its Level 1 Drift Chamber Trigger (DCT) to reduce the rate of background Level 1 triggers by more than 50% while preserving the high Level 1 trigger physics efficiency. New Z-Pt-Discriminator VME boards (ZPD) utilizing the stereo hit information from the drift chamber are being built to extract the track z coordinate at the beam line with a resolution of a few centimeters.

hep-ex↗

New BaBar Results on Rare Leptonic B Decays

New preliminary BaBar results for rare leptonic decays $B^- \to K^-ν\barν$ and $B^0\to \ell^+\ell^-$ are reported. Using data collected at the $\FourS$ with the BaBar detector, no evidence for a signal was found yielding the corresponding upper limits at the 90% confidence level: ${\cal B}(B^-\to K^-ν\barν)< 9.4 \times 10^{-5}$ for $50.7 \invfb $, ${\cal B}(\bee)< \eeul$, ${\cal B}(\bmm) < \mmul$ and ${\cal B}(\bem) < \emul$ using $54.4 \invfb $.

hep-ex↗

Large bulk matter search for fractional charge particles

We have carried out the largest search for stable particles with fractional electric charge, based on an oil drop method that incorporates a horizontal electric field and upward air flow. No evidence for such particles was found, giving a 95% C.L. upper limit of $1.17\times 10^{-22}$ particles per nucleon on the abundance of fractional charge particles in silicone oil for $0.18 e \le |Q_{residual}| \le 0.82 e$. Since this is the first use of this new method we describe the advantages and limitations of the method.

hep-ex↗

The Search for Stable, Massive, Elementary Particles

In this paper we review the experimental and observational searches for stable, massive, elementary particles other than the electron and proton. The particles may be neutral, may have unit charge or may have fractional charge. They may interact through the strong, electromagnetic, weak or gravitational forces or through some unknown force. The purpose of this review is to provide a guide for future searches - what is known, what is not known, and what appear to be the most fruitful areas for new searches. A variety of experimental and observational methods such as accelerator experiments, cosmic ray studies, searches for exotic particles in bulk matter and searches using astrophysical observations is included in this review.

hep-ex↗

A New Method for Searching for Free Fractional Charge Particles in Bulk Matter

We present a new experimental method for searching for free fractional charge in bulk matter; this new method derives from the traditional Millikan liquid drop method, but allows the use of much larger drops, 20 to 100 mm in diameter, compared to the traditional method that uses drops less than 15 mm in diameter. These larger drops provide the substantial advantage that it is then much easier to consistently generate drops containing liquid suspensions of powdered meteorites and other special minerals. These materials are of great importance in bulk searches for fractional charge particles that may have been produced in the early universe.

hep-ex↗

The Search for Fractional Charge Elementary Particles and Very Massive Particles in Bulk Matter

We describe our ongoing work on, and future plans for, searches in bulk matter for fractional charge elementary particles and very massive elementary particles. Our primary interest is in searching for such particles that may have been produced in the early universe and may be found in the more primeval matter available in the solar system: meteorites, material from the moon's surface, and certain types of ancient terrestrial rocks. In the future we are interested in examining material brought back by sample return probes from asteroids. We will describe our experimental methods that are based on new modifications of the Millikan liquid drop technique and modern technology: micromachining, CCD cameras, and desktop computers. Extensions of our experimental methods and technology allow searches for very massive charged particles in primeval matter; particles with masses greater than 10**13 GeV. In the first such searches carried out on earth there will be uncertainties in the mass search range. Therefore we will also discuss the advantages of eventually carrying out such searches directly on an asteroid.

hep-ex↗

Dilaton Supersymmetry Breaking

We argue that dilaton supersymmetry breaking in string derived supergravity requires an effective superpotential which is not separable as a function of the dilaton times a function of the moduli. We show that in a simple model with hidden sector matter condensation and a dilaton independent term one can easily obtain $|F_S| \not=0$. For a wide range of realistic model parameters $|F_S|>>|F_T|$ and supersymmetry is mainly broken in the dilaton direction.

hep-ph↗