New Techniques in the Search for Z' Bosons and Other Neutral Resonances

TL;DR

This paper reviews innovative methods used in the search for Z' bosons and neutral resonances, highlighting recent analyses from the CDF experiment that utilize novel techniques like inverse mass distribution fitting and angular distribution measurements.

Contribution

It introduces new analysis techniques for resonance searches, including template fitting of inverse mass and angular distribution measurements, enhancing detection sensitivity.

Findings

Novel analysis methods improve sensitivity to neutral resonances.

CDF analyses demonstrate the effectiveness of inverse mass and angular distribution techniques.

Potential for future applications in resonance searches is discussed.

Abstract

The search for neutral resonances at the energy frontier has a long and illustrious history, resulting in multiple discoveries. The canonical search scans the reconstructed invariant mass distribution of identified fermion pairs. Two recent analyses from the CDF experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron have applied novel methods to resonance searches. One analysis uses simulated templates to fit the inverse mass distribution of muon pairs, a quantity with approximately constant resolution for momenta measured with a tracking detector. The other analysis measures the angular distribution of electron pairs as a function of dielectron mass, gaining sensitivity over a probe of the mass spectrum alone. After reviewing several models that predict new neutral resonances, we discuss these CDF analyses and potential future applications.