Constraining supersymmetry at the LHC with simplified models for squark production

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of simplified models in interpreting LHC searches for squark production, finding they are reliable despite some efficiency differences compared to full supersymmetric models.

Contribution

It compares simplified models with complete supersymmetric models for squark production, assessing their reliability in current LHC search interpretations.

Findings

Simplified models show sizable efficiency differences at high masses.

Mass limits from simplified and complete models are moderately consistent.

Simplified models are reliable for current LHC analyses.

Abstract

An important tool for interpreting LHC searches for new physics are simplified models. They are characterized by a small number of parameters and thus often rely on a simplified description of particle production and decay dynamics. Considering the production of squarks of the first two generations we compare the interpretation of current LHC searches for hadronic jets plus missing energy signatures within simplified models with the interpretation within a complete supersymmetric model. Although we find sizable differences in the signal efficiencies, in particular for large supersymmetric particle masses, the differences between the mass limits derived from a simplified model and from the complete supersymmetric model are moderate given the current LHC sensitivity. We conclude that simplified models provide a reliable tool to interpret the current hadronic jets plus missing energy searches at the LHC in a more model-independent way.