Search for microscopic black holes in a like-sign dimuon final state using large track multiplicity with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for microscopic black holes in proton-proton collisions using the ATLAS detector, finding no evidence and setting lower mass limits within low-scale gravity models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel search strategy using high track multiplicity in like-sign dimuon events to probe microscopic black holes at the LHC.

Findings

No excess events observed beyond Standard Model predictions.

Set 95% CL lower limits on black hole masses for various models.

Background from Standard Model processes estimated at 0.6 events.

Abstract

A search is presented for microscopic black holes in a like-sign dimuon final state in proton--proton collisions at sqrt(s)= 8 TeV. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb-1. Using a high track multiplicity requirement, 0.6 +- 0.2 background events from Standard Model processes are predicted and none observed. This result is interpreted in the context of low-scale gravity models and 95% CL lower limits on microscopic black hole masses are set for different model assumptions.