Constraining new physics with collider measurements of Standard Model signatures

TL;DR

The paper introduces 'Contur', a novel, model-independent method leveraging collider measurements to constrain and eliminate inconsistent BSM theories, demonstrated with a dark matter model.

Contribution

It presents a new, scalable approach using differential collider measurements to test and constrain BSM theories in a model-independent manner.

Findings

Effective in constraining dark matter models

Complementary to direct search methods

Scalable to various BSM theories

Abstract

A new method providing general consistency constraints for Beyond-the-Standard-Model (BSM) theories, using measurements at particle colliders, is presented. The method, `Constraints On New Theories Using Rivet', Contur, exploits the fact that particle-level differential measurements made in fiducial regions of phase-space have a high degree of model-independence. These measurements can therefore be compared to BSM physics implemented in Monte Carlo generators in a very generic way, allowing a wider array of final states to be considered than is typically the case. The Contur approach should be seen as complementary to the discovery potential of direct searches, being designed to eliminate inconsistent BSM proposals in a context where many (but perhaps not all) measurements are consistent with the Standard Model. We demonstrate, using a competitive simplified dark matter model, the power of this approach. The Contur method is highly scaleable to other models and future measurements.