Searches for pair production of third-generation squarks in sqrt(s) = 13 TeV pp collisions

TL;DR

This paper reports on searches for third-generation squark pairs in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC, finding no significant excess and setting exclusion limits up to 830-890 GeV for squark masses.

Contribution

It introduces two complementary search techniques in all-jet and lepton final states for squark pair production at the LHC, providing new exclusion limits.

Findings

No significant excess observed beyond standard model expectations.

Excluded top squark masses up to 830 GeV and bottom squark masses up to 890 GeV.

Excluded neutralino masses up to 260 GeV for certain squark mass hypotheses.

Abstract

Searches are presented for direct production of top or bottom squark pairs in proton-proton collisions at the CERN LHC. Two searches, based on complementary techniques, are performed in all-jet final states that are characterized by a significant imbalance in transverse momentum. An additional search requires the presence of a charged lepton isolated from other activity in the event. The data were collected in 2015 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. No statistically significant excess of events is found beyond the expected contribution from standard model processes. Exclusion limits are set in the context of simplified models of top or bottom squark pair production. Models with top and bottom squark masses up to 830 and 890 GeV, respectively, are probed for light neutralinos. For models with top squark masses of 675 GeV, neutralino masses up to 260 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.