Search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons in $139\,\mbox{fb\(^{-1}\)}$ of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collisions with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for supersymmetry using four or more charged leptons in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, setting new limits on supersymmetric particle masses based on ATLAS data.

Contribution

It introduces a novel multi-lepton analysis targeting supersymmetric models, with the largest dataset to date, and sets new exclusion limits on various supersymmetric particles.

Findings

No significant excess over Standard Model expectations.

Excluded higgsino masses up to 540 GeV.

Placed lower limits on wino, slepton, and gluino masses.

Abstract

A search for supersymmetry in events with four or more charged leptons (electrons, muons and $\tau$-leptons) is presented. The analysis uses a data sample corresponding to $139\,\mbox{fb\(^{-1}\)}$ of proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Four-lepton signal regions with up to two hadronically decaying $\tau$-leptons are designed to target several supersymmetric models, while a general five-lepton signal region targets any new physics phenomena leading to a final state with five charged leptons. Data yields are consistent with Standard Model expectations and results are used to set upper limits on contributions from processes beyond the Standard Model. Exclusion limits are set at the 95% confidence level in simplified models of general gauge-mediated supersymmetry, excluding higgsino masses up to $540$ GeV. In $R$-parity-violating simplified models with decays of the lightest supersymmetric particle to charged leptons, lower limits of $1.6$ TeV, $1.2$ TeV, and $2.5$ TeV are placed on wino, slepton and gluino masses, respectively.