Search for dark matter produced in association with a dark Higgs boson in the $b\bar{b}$ final state using $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for dark matter produced alongside a dark Higgs boson decaying into bottom quarks, using 13 TeV proton-proton collision data from the ATLAS detector, setting new constraints on the model parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a novel jet reclustering and identification algorithm to detect boosted dark Higgs bosons decaying into bottom quarks in collider data.

Findings

Excluded dark Higgs bosons with masses between 30 and 150 GeV.

Placed constraints on Z' mediator masses up to 4.8 TeV.

Achieved 95% confidence level exclusions in the dark Higgs parameter space.

Abstract

A search is performed for dark matter particles produced in association with a resonantly produced pair of $b$-quarks with $30< m_{bb}<150$ GeV using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. This signature is expected in extensions of the Standard Model predicting the production of dark matter particles, in particular those containing a dark Higgs boson $s$ that decays into $b\bar{b}$. The highly boosted $s \rightarrow b\bar{b}$ topology is reconstructed using jet reclustering and a new identification algorithm. This search places stringent constraints across regions of the dark Higgs model parameter space that satisfy the observed relic density, excluding dark Higgs bosons with masses between $30$ and $150$ GeV in benchmark scenarios with $Z'$ mediator masses up to $4.8$ TeV at 95% confidence level.