Search for dijet resonances with data scouting in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

TL;DR

This paper reports a search for narrow dijet resonances in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV using data scouting, setting upper limits on various resonance production models and dark matter mediator couplings.

Contribution

It introduces a data scouting technique for dijet resonance searches, enhancing sensitivity beyond traditional methods with fewer background parameters.

Findings

No significant evidence for new resonances was observed.

Upper limits were set on cross sections and couplings for various models.

The method improved sensitivity by reducing background modeling complexity.

Abstract

A search is presented for narrow resonances, with a mass between 0.6 and 1.8 TeV, decaying to pairs of jets, in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV. The search is performed using dijets that are reconstructed, selected, and recorded in a compact form by the high-level trigger in a technique referred to as "data scouting", from data collected in 2016$-$2018 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 117 fb$^{-1}$. The dijet mass spectra are well described by a smooth parameterization, and no significant evidence for the production of new particles is observed. Model-independent upper limits are presented on the product of the cross section, branching fraction, and acceptance for the individual cases of narrow quark-quark, quark-gluon, and gluon-gluon resonances, and are compared to the predictions from a variety of models of narrow dijet resonance production. The upper limit on the coupling of a dark matter mediator to quarks is presented as a function of the mediator mass. The sensitivity of this search goes beyond what is expected from statistical scaling with the integrated luminosity alone, as a consequence of the use of fewer parameters in the background function within a more robust statistical procedure.