Quirk SUEP

TL;DR

This paper introduces new search strategies for detecting exotic particles linked to dark QCD sectors at the LHC, focusing on low-transverse-momentum tracks and anomaly detection methods to improve sensitivity over traditional resonance searches.

Contribution

It develops a benchmark quirk model with event simulation and presents novel search strategies, including simple cuts, supervised, and weakly supervised anomaly detection methods, to enhance discovery potential.

Findings

Enhanced sensitivity with proposed search strategies

Expected discovery reach for 140 fb$^{-1}$ at 13 TeV

Comparison of anomaly detection methods shows improved limits

Abstract

We propose searching for physics beyond the Standard Model in the low-transverse-momentum tracks accompanying hard-scatter events at the LHC. TeV-scale resonances connected to a dark QCD sector could be enhanced by selecting events with anomalies in the track distributions. As a benchmark, a quirk model with microscopic string lengths is developed, including a setup for event simulation. For this model, strategies are presented to enhance the sensitivity compared to inclusive resonance searches: a simple cut-based selection, a supervised search, and a model-agnostic weakly supervised anomaly search with the CATHODE method. Expected discovery potentials and exclusion limits are shown for 140 fb$^{-1}$ of 13 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC.