Measuring lifetimes of long-lived charged massive particles stopped in LHC detectors

TL;DR

This paper explores methods to measure the lifetimes of long-lived charged massive particles (CHAMPs) at the LHC, demonstrating that a wide range of lifetimes from 0.1 seconds to over 10 billion seconds can be studied using specialized detection techniques and periods of no proton-proton collisions.

Contribution

It proposes novel experimental strategies for detecting and measuring the decay of long-lived CHAMPs at the LHC, including the use of beam-dump signals and trigger adjustments.

Findings

Lifetime measurement feasible for 0.1 to 10^{10} seconds.

Detection of short-lived particles around one second using beam-dump and trigger modifications.

Potential for studying decay products during no-collision periods.

Abstract

Long-lived charged massive particles (CHAMPs) appear in various particle physics models beyond the Standard Model. In this Letter, we discuss the prospects for studying the stopping and decaying events of such long-lived CHAMPs at the LHC detectors, and show that the lifetime measurement (and the study of decay products) is possible with the LHC detectors for a wide range of the lifetime O(0.1)-O(10^{10}) sec, by using periods of no $pp$ collision. Even a short lifetime of order one second can be measured by (i) identifying the stopping event with the online Event Filter, (ii) immediately making a beam-dump signal which stops the $pp$ collision of the LHC, and at the same time (iii) changing the trigger menu to optimize it for the detection of a CHAMP decay in the calorimeter. Other possibilities are also discussed.