The experimental status of direct searches for exotic physics beyond the standard model at the Large Hadron Collider

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current status of direct searches for exotic physics beyond the standard model at the LHC, highlighting the lack of discoveries and discussing future research directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive summary of existing search strategies and results, and outlines future prospects for discovering new physics at the LHC.

Findings

No new particles observed so far

Large portions of parameter space are excluded

Future searches need to explore heavier or hidden new physics

Abstract

The standard model of particle physics is an extremely successful theory of fundamental interactions, but it has many known limitations. It is therefore widely believed to be an effective field theory that describes interactions near the TeV scale. A plethora of strategies exist to extend the standard model, many of which contain predictions of new particles or dynamics that could manifest in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). As of now, none have been observed, and much of the available phase space for natural solutions to outstanding problems is excluded. If new physics exists, it is therefore either heavy (i.e. slightly above the reach of current searches) or hidden (i.e. currently indistinguishable from standard model backgrounds). We summarize the existing searches, and discuss future directions at the LHC.