Digging Deeper for New Physics in the LHC Data

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new model-independent method called 'rectangular aggregations' to analyze LHC data, revealing previously overlooked potential signals of new physics, including correlated excesses in jets+MET searches.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel technique for mining LHC data that uncovers subtle anomalies and potential new physics signals overlooked by traditional methods.

Findings

Identified ~3σ excesses in CMS jets+MET SUSY searches.

Two excesses are compatible and suggest a resonant color-triplet production.

Correlated excesses are observed in both CMS and ATLAS data.

Abstract

In this paper we describe a novel, model-independent technique of "rectangular aggregations" for mining the LHC data for hints of new physics. A typical (CMS) search now has hundreds of signal regions, which can obscure potentially interesting anomalies. Applying our technique to the two CMS jets+MET SUSY searches, we identify a set of previously overlooked $\sim 3\sigma$ excesses. Among these, four excesses survive tests of inter- and intra-search compatibility, and two are especially interesting: they are largely overlapping between the jets+MET searches and are characterized by low jet multiplicity, zero $b$-jets, and low MET and $H_T$. We find that resonant color-triplet production decaying to a quark plus an invisible particle provides an excellent fit to these two excesses and all other data -- including the ATLAS jets+MET search, which actually sees a correlated excess. We discuss the additional constraints coming from dijet resonance searches, monojet searches and pair production. Based on these results, we believe the wide-spread view that the LHC data contains no interesting excesses is greatly exaggerated.