Dark Matter from Electroweak Single Top Production

TL;DR

This paper proposes using electroweak single top production with dark matter pairs as a new method to detect spin-0 mediators at the LHC, demonstrating its effectiveness with realistic analysis and potential reach.

Contribution

It introduces electroweak single top production as a novel channel for dark matter searches, providing a detailed analysis for LHC sensitivity to scalar mediators.

Findings

Can probe scalar mediators up to 180 GeV with 300 fb⁻¹

Effective discrimination between signal and background using event kinematics

Single-top-associated dark matter production is a promising independent search channel

Abstract

Dark matter scenarios with spin-0 mediators in the $s$-channel have be tested in well-established processes with missing energy, such as top-pair- and mono-jet-associated production. We suggest electroweak single top production in association with a dark matter pair as an alternative channel. Based on a realistic analysis for the LHC at 13 TeV, we demonstrate how to efficiently discriminate between the signal and Standard-Model background using event kinematics. With $300\,\text{fb}^{-1}\,(3\,\text{ab}^{-1})$ of data luminosity, on-shell scalar mediators with a coupling strength $g_S^t=1$ to top quarks can be probed up to masses of $180\,(360)\,\text{GeV}$. Single-top-associated dark matter production should thus be included as an independent search channel in the LHC dark matter program.