Revisiting scalar leptoquark at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for detecting scalar leptoquarks at the LHC, focusing on decay channels involving second and third generations, and estimates the mass reach with high-luminosity data.

Contribution

It provides a detailed simulation-based analysis of leptoquark signatures at the LHC, including decay modes, background suppression, and mass reconstruction techniques.

Findings

Leptoquark mass can be probed up to a certain limit at 14 TeV with 3000 fb$^{-1}$.

The $ ext{mu} + c$ channel offers a cleaner mass peak for detection.

Single production signatures provide additional discovery avenues.

Abstract

We investigate the Standard Model (SM) extended with a colored charged scalar, leptoquark, having fractional electromagnetic charge $-1/3$. We mostly focus on the decays of the leptoquark into second and third generations via $c\,\mu, t\, \tau$ decay modes. We perform a PYTHIA-based simulation considering all the dominant SM backgrounds at the LHC with 14\,TeV center of mass energy. Limits have been calculated for the leptoquark mass that can be probed at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 3000 fb$^{-1}$. The leptoquark mass, reconstructed from its decay products into the third generation, has the maximum reach. However, the $\mu + c$ channel, comprising a very hard muon and $c$-jet produces a much cleaner mass peak. Single leptoquark production in association with a $\mu$ or $\nu$ provides some unique signatures that can also be probed at the LHC.