Search for new phenomena using the invariant mass distribution of same-flavour opposite-sign dilepton pairs in events with missing transverse momentum in $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collisions with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper searches for new physics signals in dilepton events with missing transverse momentum at 13 TeV, finding no deviations from the Standard Model and setting exclusion limits on gluino and squark masses.

Contribution

It presents a novel search for supersymmetric particles using invariant mass distributions of dileptons with missing energy at 13 TeV, extending previous mass exclusion limits.

Findings

No excess observed over Standard Model predictions.

Excluded gluinos up to 1.85 TeV and squarks up to 1.3 TeV at 95% CL.

Analyzed decay mechanisms of neutralinos in supersymmetry models.

Abstract

A search for new phenomena in final states containing an $e^+e^-$ or $\mu^+\mu^-$ pair, jets, and large missing transverse momentum is presented. This analysis makes use of proton--proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of $36.1 \; \mathrm{fb}^{-1}$, collected during 2015 and 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search targets the pair production of supersymmetric coloured particles (squarks or gluinos) and their decays into final states containing an $e^+e^-$ or $\mu^+\mu^-$ pair and the lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}_1^0$) via one of two next-to-lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}_2^0$) decay mechanisms: $\tilde{\chi}_2^0 \rightarrow Z \tilde{\chi}_1^0$, where the $Z$ boson decays leptonically leading to a peak in the dilepton invariant mass distribution around the $Z$ boson mass; and $\tilde{\chi}_2^0 \rightarrow \ell^+\ell^- \tilde{\chi}_1^0$ with no intermediate $\ell^+\ell^-$ resonance, yielding a kinematic endpoint in the dilepton invariant mass spectrum. The data are found to be consistent with the Standard Model expectation. Results are interpreted using simplified models, and exclude gluinos and squarks with masses as large as 1.85 TeV and 1.3 TeV at 95% confidence level, respectively.