The same-sign top signature of R-parity violation

TL;DR

This paper explores how baryonic R-parity violation in supersymmetry can produce same-sign top-quark pairs, offering a distinctive collider signature that is largely independent of the supersymmetric mass spectrum.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified benchmark strategy for detecting baryon number violating supersymmetry via same-sign top signatures, and interprets current and future collider bounds.

Findings

Current CMS searches set bounds on gluino and squark masses.

Same-sign top signatures are a promising indicator of baryon number violation.

Future 14 TeV runs could significantly extend detection reach.

Abstract

Baryonic R-parity violation could explain why low-scale supersymmetry has not yet been discovered at colliders: sparticles would be hidden in the intense hadronic activity. However, if the known flavor structures are any guide, the largest baryon number violating couplings are those involving the top/stop, so a copious production of same-sign top-quark pairs is in principle possible. Such a signal, with its low irreducible background and efficient identification through same-sign dileptons, provides us with tell-tale signs of baryon number violating supersymmetry. Interestingly, this statement is mostly independent of the details of the supersymmetric mass spectrum. So, in this paper, after analyzing the sparticle decay chains and lifetimes, we formulate a simplified benchmark strategy that covers most supersymmetric scenarios. We then use this information to interpret the same-sign dilepton searches of CMS, draw approximate bounds on the gluino and squark masses, and extrapolate the reach of the future 14 TeV runs.