Prospects for (non-SUSY) new physics with first LHC data

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential for discovering non-SUSY new physics at the LHC with early data, focusing on simple signatures and the importance of precise detector calibration.

Contribution

It provides a signature-based analysis of early LHC data prospects for non-SUSY new physics, emphasizing simple processes and the need for detailed detector understanding.

Findings

Potential to observe processes with cross sections of a few hundred fb

Importance of detector calibration for tail comparisons

Early data can probe simple new physics signatures

Abstract

The ATLAS and CMS experiments will take first data soon. I consider here the prospects for new physics (excluding SUSY) with a few inverse fb of data. This means processes with signal cross sections of a few 100 fb or less, with clear and fairly simple signatures - precision comparison of data to Standard Model tails will take longer, needing more luminosity and very good understanding of detector calibrations, resolutions and trigger efficiencies. The approach I take here is signature rather than model based, but examples of models will be given.