Constraining new physics with searches for long-lived particles: Implementation into SModelS

TL;DR

This paper integrates long-lived particle search results into SModelS v1.2, enabling constraints on new physics models like dark matter scenarios using LHC data, and demonstrates their impact on inert doublet and gravitino dark matter models.

Contribution

The implementation of HSCP and R-hadron signatures into SModelS v1.2 and application to dark matter models is a novel contribution.

Findings

Sensitivity up to 580 GeV for inert doublet dark matter.

Missing energy searches do not constrain the inert doublet parameter space.

HSCP and R-hadron searches constrain gravitino dark matter reheating temperature.

Abstract

We present the implementation of heavy stable charge particle (HSCP) and R-hadron signatures into SModelS v1.2. We include simplified-model results from the 8 and 13 TeV LHC and demonstrate their impact on two new physics scenarios motivated by dark matter: the inert doublet model and a gravitino dark matter scenario. For the former, we find sensitivity up to dark matter masses of 580 GeV for small mass splittings within the inert doublet, while missing energy searches are not able to constrain any significant part of the cosmologically preferred parameter space. For the gravitino dark matter scenario, we show that both HSCP and R-hadron searches provide important limits, allowing to constrain the viable range of the reheating temperature.