Model-Independent Searches for New Quarks at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the potential for the LHC to discover new vector-like quarks through single production, emphasizing model-independent methods and the impact of different energy and luminosity scenarios.

Contribution

It provides a model-independent analysis of the LHC's discovery reach for vector-like quarks via single production and electroweak decays, considering various collider energies and luminosities.

Findings

Early LHC run can probe up to 1 TeV quark masses.

14 TeV LHC can reach up to 3.7 TeV for heavy quarks.

Single production is optimal for discovery due to unique kinematics.

Abstract

New vector-like quarks can have sizable couplings to first generation quarks without conflicting with current experimental constraints. The coupling with valence quarks and unique kinematics make single production the optimal discovery process. We perform a model-independent analysis of the discovery reach at the Large Hadron Collider for new vector-like quarks considering single production and subsequent decays via electroweak interactions. An early LHC run with 7 TeV center of mass energy and 1 fb-1 of integrated luminosity can probe heavy quark masses up to 1 TeV and can be competitive with the Tevatron reach of 10 fb-1. The LHC with 14 TeV center of mass energy and 100 fb-1 of integrated luminosity can probe heavy quark masses up to 3.7 TeV for order one couplings.