Search for the SUSY Electroweak Sector at $ep$ Colliders

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the potential of future electron-proton colliders to detect weakly-produced supersymmetric particles, focusing on nearly degenerate charginos and neutralinos in different slepton mass scenarios, using realistic detector simulations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed sensitivity analysis of $ep$ colliders for SUSY electroweak particles in compressed and decoupled slepton scenarios, including systematic uncertainties and polarization effects.

Findings

Sensitivity is complementary to $pp$ colliders, especially in compressed-slepton scenarios.

Realistic detector simulations and multivariate techniques improve detection prospects.

Electron beam polarization enhances the reach for SUSY particles.

Abstract

The sensitivity of future electron-proton colliders, the LHeC and FCC-eh, to weakly-produced supersymmetric particles is evaluated in this article. Supersymmetric scenarios where charginos ($\tilde{\chi}_1^{\pm}$) and neutralinos ($\tilde{\chi}_1^{0}$ and $\tilde{\chi}_2^{0}$) are nearly degenerate in mass are considered. Two sets of models, which differ in the mass of sleptons ($\tilde{\ell}$), are studied. Under the hypothesis that slepton masses are at the multi-TeV scale (``decoupled'' scenario), the production processes for charginos and neutralinos at $ep$ colliders, $p\, e^- \to j\, e^-\, \tilde{\chi} \tilde{\chi}$ with $\tilde{\chi}=\tilde{\chi}_1^{0}$, $\tilde{\chi}_1^{\pm}$ or $\tilde{\chi}_2^{0}$, are considered. For the models where slepton masses are above but close to $\tilde{\chi}_1^{\pm}$, $\tilde{\chi}_2^{0}$ masses (``compressed'' scenario), contributions from the processes $p\, e^- \to j\, \tilde{\chi}\, \tilde{e}_L^-$ and $j\, \tilde{\chi}\, \tilde{\nu}$ followed by the decays $\tilde{e}_L^- \to \tilde{\chi}_{1,2}^{0} + e^-$ and $\tilde{\nu} \to \tilde{\chi}_1^+ + e^-$ are also taken into account. These scenarios are analysed with realistic detector performance, using multivariate techniques. Effects of systematic uncertainties and electron beam polarization dependence are also discussed. The reach is found to be complementary to the one obtained at $pp$ colliders, in particular for the compressed-slepton scenario.