ReSyst: a novel technique to Reduce the Systematic uncertainty for precision measurements

TL;DR

This paper introduces ReSyst, a new method that reduces systematic uncertainties in precision measurements at the LHC by analyzing event sensitivities, demonstrated with a top quark mass estimator.

Contribution

ReSyst is a novel technique that quantifies event-specific systematic impacts to identify and mitigate sources of uncertainty in high-energy physics measurements.

Findings

Systematic uncertainty reduced by at least 30%.

Method applied successfully to simulated top quark mass data.

Potential for improved precision in collider experiments.

Abstract

We are in an era of precision measurements at the Large Hadron Collider. The precision that can be achieved on some of those is limited however due to large systematic uncertainties. This paper introduces a new technique to reduce the total systematic uncertainty by quantifying the systematic impact of single events and correlating it with event observables to identify classes of events that are more sensitive to systematic effects. A proof of concept is presented by means of a simplified top quark mass estimator applied on simulated events. Even without a thorough optimization, it is shown that the total systematic uncertainty can be reduced by at least 30%.