Automated Squark and Gluino Production to Next-to-Leading Order

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fully automated method for calculating next-to-leading order predictions of squark and gluino production at the LHC, providing detailed insights into quantum corrections and uncertainties.

Contribution

It presents the MadGolem tool for automated NLO calculations of squark and gluino production without spectrum assumptions, including divergence treatment and comparison with resummed predictions.

Findings

Quantified theory uncertainties due to spectrum assumptions.

Compared fixed-order and resummed distribution predictions.

Demonstrated the MadGolem tool's capabilities for comprehensive NLO analysis.

Abstract

We present completely general next-to-leading order predictions for squark and gluino production at the LHC, based on the fully automated MadGolem tool. Without any assumptions on the mass spectrum we predict production rates and examine the structure of the massless and massive quantum corrections. This allows us to quantify theory uncertainties induced by the spectrum assumptions commonly made. Going beyond total rates we compare general fixed-order distributions to resummed predictions from jet merging. As part of this comprehensive study we present the MadGolem treatment of ultraviolet, infrared and on-shell divergences.