Probing torsion field with Einstein-Cartan gravity at the HL-LHC: an angular distribution case study

TL;DR

This study uses simulated HL-LHC data to analyze angular distributions of high-mass dimuon pairs, aiming to detect signals of torsion fields predicted by Einstein-Cartan gravity and set limits on related particle masses.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to probe torsion fields via angular distributions in collider data, providing upper mass limits within an Einstein-Cartan gravity framework.

Findings

Set 95% CL upper limits on torsion field masses

Identified potential deviations from Standard Model angular distributions

Demonstrated the feasibility of using angular analysis to test gravity models

Abstract

This analysis utilizes simulated data privately generated based on the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) configuration to investigate the angular distribution of high-mass dimuon pairs produced during the foreseen proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 14 TeV. The study focuses on the cos$\theta_{CS}$ variable, which is defined in the Collins-Soper frame. In the Standard Model, the production of high-mass dimuon pairs is primarily governed by the Drell-Yan process, which demonstrates a significant forward-backward asymmetry. However, scenarios beyond the Standard Model suggest different shapes for the cos$\theta_{CS}$ distribution. By observing excess events not predicted by the Standard Model, the angular distribution can help differentiate among these alternative models. Furthermore, we used a simplified Einstein-Cartan gravity model to analyze the simulated data. This analysis established upper limits at the 95\% confidence level regarding the masses of various particles within the model, including a spin-2 dark neutral gauge boson and the torsion field.