Search for dark matter production in association with the Z$^{\prime}$ boson at the LHC in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV using Monte Carlo simulations

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential for detecting dark matter particles produced alongside a Z' boson at the LHC, using Monte Carlo simulations of proton-proton collisions at 8 TeV, focusing on muonic Z' decays and setting limits on masses and EFT parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a search strategy for dark matter with a Z' boson at the LHC using Monte Carlo simulations and interprets results within simplified and EFT models.

Findings

Limits set on Z' and dark matter masses.

Constraints on EFT cutoff scale.

Analysis based on 19.7 fb$^{-1}$ of data at 8 TeV.

Abstract

This analysis presents the possibility for the search for Dark Matter (DM) particles using events with a Z$^{\prime}$ heavy gauge boson and a large missing transverse momentum at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We consider the muonic decay of Z$^{\prime}$. The analyzed Monte Carlo samples were the Open simulated files produced by the CMS collaboration for proton-proton collisions correspond to an integrated luminosity of the LHC run-I with 19.7 fb$^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s} = $ 8 TeV. Two scenarios, one simplified benchmark scenario so called Dark Higgs and the effective field theory (EFT) formalism, were used for interpretations. Limits are set on both Z$^{\prime}$, dark matter masses and the cutoff scale of the EFT.