arXiv subjects

Zack Sullivan

Publications and source records attributed to Zack Sullivan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

A formalism for constructing the QCD power spectrum with finite sampling

Recent progress in the study of QCD phenomena with energy correlators motivates novel approaches to explore the information contained in the QCD radiation spectrum. Fox-Wolfram moments are a set of observables that characterize the angular distribution of energy flow in high-energy collisions. Contrary to their conventional application, they are a class of correlated moments that cannot be reduced to one or several characteristic ones. We present a formalism to extract their fully correlated information content, while systematically discarding small-angle sampling noise, on an event-by-event basis. We show that our approach circumvents a common misspecification of the data in terms of $\delta$-distributions, and is essential in keeping the power spectrum infrared and collinear safe. Our formalism introduces a means of accounting for the varying spatial extent of objects that enter the calculation of the power spectrum, with which experimental artifacts such as detector element geometries and measurement uncertainties can readily be incorporated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Harnessing the global correlations of the QCD power spectrum

As multiplicity increases at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, an opportunity arises to explore the information contained in the full QCD power spectrum on an event-by-event basis. This paper lays the foundations for a framework to encode and extract the information contained in finite sampling of a QCD event.

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arXiv2021

Testing parton distribution functions with t-channel single-top-quark production

The production of single top-quarks in the t-channel at hadron colliders imposes strong analytic constraints on parton distribution functions (PDFs) through its double deeply inelastic scattering (DDIS) form. We exploit this to provide novel consistency checks between LO, NLO and NNLO PDF fits and propose to include it as a constraint in future PDF fits. Furthermore, while it is well-known that the b-quark PDF is highly sensitive to the b-quark mass, we show that the treatment of this systematic uncertainty is still incomplete, fragmented or outright missing at the moment. Consequently, we conclude that the b-quark mass uncertainty is the dominant but so far broadly neglected theory uncertainty for this process.

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arXiv2020

An optimal quantum sampling regression algorithm for variational eigensolving in the low qubit number regime

The VQE algorithm has turned out to be quite expensive to run given the way we currently access quantum processors (i.e. over the cloud). In order to alleviate this issue, we introduce Quantum Sampling Regression (QSR), an alternative hybrid quantum-classical algorithm, and analyze some of its use cases based on time complexity in the low qubit number regime. In exchange for some extra classical resources, this novel strategy is proved to be optimal in terms of the number of samples it requires from the quantum processor. We develop a simple analytical model to evaluate when this algorithm is more efficient than VQE, and, from the same theoretical considerations, establish a threshold above which quantum advantage can occur. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of our algorithm for a benchmark problem.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Single-top-quark production in the $t$-channel at NNLO

We present a calculation of t-channel single-top-quark production and decay in the five-flavor scheme at NNLO. Our results resolve a disagreement between two previous calculations of this process that found a difference in the inclusive cross section at the level of the NNLO coefficient itself. We compare in detail with the previous calculations at the inclusive, differential and fiducial level including b-quark tagging at a fixed scale $\mu=m_t$. In addition, we advocate the use of double deep inelastic scattering (DDIS) scales ($\mu^2=Q^2$ for the light-quark line and $\mu^2=Q^2+m_t^2$ for the heavy-quark line) that maximize perturbative stability and allow for robust scale uncertainties. All NNLO and NLO$\,\otimes\,$NLO contributions for production and decay are included in the on-shell and vertex-function approximation. We present fiducial and differential results for a variety of observables used in Standard Model and Beyond Standard Model analyses, and find an important difference between the NLO and NNLO predictions of exclusive $t+n$-jet cross sections. Overall we find that NNLO corrections are crucial for a precise identification of the t-channel process.

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arXiv2019

Off-shell single-top-quark production in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory

We present a fully differential and spin-dependent $t$-channel single-top-quark calculation at next-to-leading order (NLO) in QCD including off-shell effects by using the complex mass scheme in the Standard Model (SM) and in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). We include all relevant SMEFT operators at $1/\Lambda^2$ that contribute at NLO in QCD for a fully consistent comparison to the SM at NLO. In addition, we include chirality flipping operators that do not interfere with the SM amplitude and contribute only at $1/\Lambda^4$ with a massless $b$-quark. Such higher order effects are usually captured by considering anomalous right-handed $Wtb$ and left-handed $Wtb$ tensor couplings. Despite their formal suppression in the SMEFT, they describe an important class of models for new physics. Our calculation and analysis framework is publicly available in MCFM.

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arXiv2017

Are PDFs still consistent with Tevatron data?

As active data taking has moved to the LHC at CERN, more and more LHC data have been included into fits of parton distribution functions. An anomaly has arisen where formerly excellent agreement between theoretical predictions and experiment in single-top-quark production at the Tevatron is no longer quite as good. Is this indicative of a deeper issue?

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arXiv2017

Spherical harmonics for multiparticle final states

We examine collider physics via the spectral power H_l, which utilizes much more detector information than sequential jet reconstruction. We use H_l to define a novel jet definition and use it to reconstruct both e+e- > qqg and e+e > tt final states. We find that a significant amount of pileup can be trivially subtracted from H_l jets, provided that the "shape" of pileup can be determined ahead of time. Finally, we find that future progress with H_l jets will require the addition of degrees of freedom accounting for jet "shape" (e.g. radial energy distribution). This should allow the measurement of jet shapes using much more information than traditional techniques.

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arXiv2016

Probing the two Higgs doublet wedge region with charged Higgs boson decays to boosted jets

Two Higgs doublet extensions of the standard model, such as supersymmetry, predict the existence of charged Higgs bosons. We explore the reach for TeV-scale charged Higgs bosons through their associated production with top quarks, and their decay to boosted top jets and $\mu_x$ tagged boosted bottom jets, at a 14 TeV CERN Large Hadron Collider and at a 100 TeV Future Circular Collider. In particular, we show the moderate $\tan\beta$ "wedge" region of parameter space cannot be probed at the Large Hadron Collider for TeV-scale $H^\pm$ because the cross section is too small. However, a 100 TeV future proton collider can close the wedge region below 2 TeV, and search for $H^\pm$ up to 6 TeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

A priority based noise tolerant jet framework and algorithm

We introduce a new framework for jet definitions called p-jets that matches the computational speed of the currently used anti-k_T jet algorithm, but avoids combining much of the energy from background pileup events with signal jets. As a first illustration of the p-jet framework, we compare the effectiveness of a p-jet algorithm to the anti-k_T algorithm in reconstructing low energy jets from resonant Z boson production and 50 pileup events.

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arXiv2016

Boosted-bottom jet tagging and BSM searches

I present a new scheme for tagging boosted heavy flavor jets called "$\mu_x$ tagging" and its application to TeV-scale physics beyond the Standard Model. Using muons from B hadron decay to define a particular combination "x" of angular information, and jet substructure variables, we identify a clean ($\epsilon_{\mathrm{fake}}/\epsilon_b\sim 1/100$) good efficiency ($\epsilon_b = 14\%$) tag. I demonstrate the usefulness of this new scheme by showing the reach for discovery of leptophobic $Z^\prime\to b\bar b$ and $tH^\pm\to t t b$.

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arXiv2015

Mu_x boosted-bottom-jet tagging and Z-prime boson searches

We present a new technique for tagging heavy-flavor jets with p_T > 500 GeV called "mu_x tagging." Current track-based methods of b-jet tagging lose efficiency and experience a large rise in fake rate in the boosted regime. Using muons from B hadron decay, we combine angular information and jet substructure to tag b jets, c jets, light jets, and "light-heavy" jets (those containing B hadrons from gluon splitting). We find tagging efficiencies of epsilon_b = 14%, epsilon_c = 6.5%, epsilon_{light-light} = 0.14%, and epsilon_{light-heavy} = 0.5%, respectively, that are nearly independent of transverse momentum at high energy. We demonstrate the usefulness of this new scheme by examining the discovery potential for multi-TeV leptophobic Z-prime bosons in the boosted-b-tagged dijet channel at the Large Hadron Collider.

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arXiv2015

Flavor tagging TeV jets for BSM and QCD

We present a new scheme for tagging high-$p_{T}$ bottom and charm jets using energetic muons. Contemporary track-based $b$ tags lose their ability to reject light jet background as jet $p_{T}\rightarrow\mathcal{O}(\mathrm{TeV})$, where the massive boost exposes fundamental limits in tracking resolution. For our "$\mu_{x}$" tag, the signal efficiency and light jet rejection is robust versus $p_{T}$. In the tested regime (jet $p_{T}\in[\mathrm{0.5,2.1}]$ TeV), $\mu_{x}$ tags $\sim14\%$ of $b$ jets, $\sim6.5\%$ of $c$ jets and $\sim0.65\%$ of light jets. Since $\mu_{x}$ tagging should be immediately useful in a searches for heavy resonances, we test it with a typical dijet search --- a heavy, leptophobic $Z^{\prime}$.

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arXiv2015

Improving parton distribution uncertainties in a W mass measurement at the LHC

We reexamine the dominant contribution of parton distribution function (PDF) uncertainties to the W mass measurement, and determine their contribution is +-39(30) MeV when running the Large Hadron Collider at 7(13) TeV. We find that spurious correlations in older PDF sets led to over-optimistic assumptions regarding normalization to Z observables. In order to understand the origin of the large uncertainties we break down the contribution of the PDF errors into effects at the hard matrix element level, in showering, and in sensitivity to finite detector resolutions. Using CT10, CT10W, and charm enhanced PDF sets in comparison to older PDF sets, we develop a robust analysis that examines correlations between transverse mass reconstructions of W and Z decays (scaled by cos $\theta_W$) to leptons. We find that central leptons (|$\eta_l$| < 1.3) from W and Z bosons carry the most weight in reducing the PDF uncertainty, and estimate a PDF error of +10/-12 MeV is achievable in a W mass measurement at the LHC. Further reductions of the W mass uncertainty will require improved fits to the parton distribution functions.

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arXiv2015

Parton distributions and the $W$ mass measurement

We examine the sources of parton distribution errors in the $W$ mass measurement, and point out shortcomings in the existing literature. Optimistic assumptions about strategies to reduce the error by normalizing to $Z$ observables are examined and found to rely too heavily on assumptions about the parametrization and degrees of freedom of the parton distribution functions (PDFs). We devise a strategy to combine measurements as efficiently as possible using error correlations to reduce the overall uncertainty of the measurement, including $Z$ data, and estimate a PDF error of $^{+10}_{-12}$ MeV is achievable in a $W$ mass measurement at the LHC. Further reductions of the $W$ mass uncertainty will require improved fits to the parton distribution functions.

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arXiv2013

LHC and Tevatron constraints on a W' model interpretation of the top quark forward-backward asymmetry

Aspects of a flavor-changing W' model with right-handed couplings are addressed in this paper in light of Tevatron and LHC data. Our fit to the Tevatron top-quark forward-backward asymmetry and the tt_bar inclusive cross section includes higher-order loop effects in the effective interaction. The higher order corrections change the best fit value of the W' effective coupling strength as a function of the W' mass. The consistency of the model is checked against the shape of the tt_bar invariant mass distribution. We use these updated W' parameters to compute the expected contributions from W't associated production and, for the first time, W'W' pair production at the LHC. We do a full Monte Carlo simulation of the tt_bar+X final state, including interference between the tW' induced tt_bar j process and the standard model tt_bar j process. Interference effects are shown to be quantitatively important, particularly when the W' mass is large. The jet multiplicity distribution in tt_bar-jet production at 8 TeV constrains the W' model severely.

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arXiv2013

Next-to-leading order pp -> W^\prime -> tb production at 14 TeV and 33 TeV

I update the predicted leading order and next-to-leading order cross sections and total widths for W^\prime bosons that decay to top and bottom quarks at 14 TeV and 33 TeV pp colliders (pp -> W^\prime -> tb). Separate tables are included for right- and left-handed bosons. Theoretical uncertainties are completely dominated by parton distribution function uncertainties, and are computed for W^\prime_+- production at a 14 TeV pp collider.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Search for W' bosons through decays to boosted-top and boosted-bottom jets

We propose a novel model-independent method to search for W' bosons at the Large Hadron Collider by looking at dijets where one jet is identified as a boosted-top jet and another jet is tagged as a boosted-bottom jet. Performing a detector simulated signal and background study, we demonstrate that the reach in effective coupling g' is improved over existing analysis methods by up to factor of 2 for W' masses above 1.5 TeV, and the reach in mass is extended by 600 GeV to 2.6 TeV at an 8 TeV Large Hadron Collider. We introduce a method for distinguishing high-energy b jets from light-quark jets, and describe a previously unexplored set of backgrounds to top-jets. We propose a series of data-driven samples that might be used to measure the efficiencies for these new backgrounds in the LHC data.

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