96443947
Discovery in Drell-Yan processes at the LHC
We study the Drell-Yan process mediated by a new bosonic resonance at the LHC. The bosons of spin-0, 1, and 2 with the most general leading-order couplings to standard model fermions and gluons are considered, which provides a model-independent formulation for future exploration of the resonance properties, such as its spin, mass and couplings. In the case of neutral resonances, we demonstrate how the shapes of the kinematical distributions change as one varies the chiral couplings of the quarks and leptons, and show how to analyze the couplings by making use of the forward-backward asymmetry. In the case of charged resonances, we propose a novel technique to effectively reconstruct the angular distribution in the center-of-mass frame, to a large extent avoiding the two-fold ambiguity due to the missing neutrino. Similar to the case of a neutral resonance, the spin information of the resonance can be extracted unambiguously, and chiral couplings and the asymmetries can be explored in a statistical manner. With the current LHC data, we present bounds on the mass and cross section times branching fraction of the new resonance and estimate the future reach.
16128170
SLHAplus: A library for implementing extensions of the standard model
We provide a library to facilitate the implementation of new models in codes such as matrix element and event generators or codes for computing dark matter observables. The library contains a SLHA reader routine as well as diagonalisation routines. This library is also available in CalcHEP, micrOMEGAs and LanHEP. In the very near future the LHC will have the opportunity to test the TeV scale relevant to address the outstanding issues in the standard model and its extensions: the symmetry breaking problem and the dark matter problem. Furthermore numerous astroparticle searches will help refine the dark matter properties. Confronting the various extensions of the standard model that have been proposed with observations at colliders and astroparticle searches will therefore provide powerful tests of the new physics model. Sophisticated tools have been developed to compute the predictions for observables such as particle spectra, decay rates or cross sections that are relevant at colliders ( for a repository of available tools see [1]) while other tools explore the implications of new physics models for dark matter observables [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The interpretation of a new signature might require extending those tools to adapt them to work with different models. Tools such as LanHEP [7], Feynrules [34] and SARAH [9] have been developed to facilitate the implementation of new models in generic matrix elements and event generators such as Madgraph [10], CompHEP [11, 12], CalcHEP [13], FeynArts/FormCalc [14, 15] and Sherpa [16]. They require mainly the implementation of a new Lagrangian and provide the model file adapted to the chosen generator. While these tools are very powerful they often leave some tedious and repetitive tasks for the user. Here we provide a library that contains some routines to facilitate the implementation of new models. The library first contains a routine for reading a SUSY Les Houches Accord (SLHA) file [17, 18]. An SLHA file is a standardized file format specifying input and output parameters that was developed in the framework of supersymmetry to facilitate the passing of information beween codes as varied as spectrum calculators, matrix element generators or event generators. 1 We have generalised the procedure to take into account an arbitrary number of blocks so that the reader can be used in generic models including non supersymmetric ones. The library also contains routines to diagonalise real mass matrices with either unitary or 1 Another SLHA reader library that can be used with the MSSM and its extensions is available at [19].
119223957
Introducing an interface between WHIZARD and FeynRules
While Monte Carlo event generators like WHIZARD have become indispensable tools in studying the impact of new physics on collider observables over the last decades, the implementation of new models in such packages has remained a rather awkward and error-prone process. Recently, the FeynRules package was introduced which greatly simplifies this process by providing a single unified model format from which model implementations for many different Monte Carlo codes can be derived automatically. In this note, we present an interface which extends FeynRules to provide this functionality also for the WHIZARD package, thus making WHIZARD's strengths and performance easily available to model builders.
206997636
CalcHEP 3.4 for collider physics within and beyond the Standard Model
We present version 3.4 of the CalcHEP software package which is designed for effective evaluation and simulation of high energy physics collider processes at parton level. The main features of CalcHEP are the computation of Feynman diagrams, integration over multi-particle phase space and event simulation at parton level. The principle attractive key-points along these lines are that it has: (a) an easy startup and usage even for those who are not familiar with CalcHEP and programming; (b) a friendly and convenient graphical user interface (GUI); (c) the option for the user to easily modify a model or introduce a new model by either using the graphical interface or by using an external package with the possibility of cross checking the results in different gauges; (d) a batch interface which allows to perform very complicated and tedious calculations connecting production and decay modes for processes with many particles in the final state. With this features set, CalcHEP can efficiently perform calculations with a high level of automation from a theory in the form of a Lagrangian down to phenomenology in the form of cross sections, parton level event simulation and various kinematical distributions. In this paper we report on the new features of CalcHEP 3.4 which improves the power of our package to be an effective tool for the study of modern collider phenomenology
51806520
New developments in FEYNRULES
The program FeynRules is a Mathematica package developed to facilitate the implementation of new physics theories into high-energy physics tools. Starting from a minimal set of information such as the model gauge symmetries, its particle content, parameters and Lagrangian, FeynRules provides all necessary routines to extract automatically from the Lagrangian (that can also be computed semi-automatically for supersymmetric theories) the associated Feynman rules. These can be further exported to several Monte Carlo event generators through dedicated interfaces, as well as translated into a Python library, under the so-called UFO model format, agnostic of the model complexity, especially in terms of Lorentz and/or color structures appearing in the vertices or of number of external legs. In this work, we briefly report on the most recent new features that have been added to FeynRules, including full support for spin- 3 fermions, a new module allowing for the automated diagonalization of the particle spectrum and a new set of routines dedicated to decay width calculations.
118577263
Vector Bosons Signals of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking
We study the physics potential of the 8 TeV LHC to discover signals of extended gauge models or extra dimensional models whose low energy behavior is well represented by an SU(2) x SU(2) x U(1) electroweak gauge structure. We find that with a combined integrated luminosity of 40 fb^(-1), the first new Kaluza-Klein mode of the W gauge boson can be discovered up to a mass of about 400 GeV, when produced in association with a Z boson.
26080010
LIGO S6 detector characterization studies
LIGO recently commenced its sixth science run (S6) simultaneously with Virgo starting its second science run (VSR2). Because of differing interferometer configurations with respect to S5, much effort has been invested understanding new sources of noise in the LIGO S6 interferometers. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration's detector characterization working group is actively investigating the origin of noise in the LIGO interferometers and determining the periods of good, bad or questionable data quality. We describe the instrumental issues found to affect the data quality in S6 and the vetoes developed for burst and inspiral searches. The methods used to search for and identify periodic noise lines are also presented. A summary of other noise search efforts in S6 is also given.
43905547
Veto studies for LIGO inspiral triggers
LIGO recently conducted its third scientific data run, S3. Here, we summarize the veto and data quality studies conducted by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration in connection with the search for binary inspiral signals in the S3 data. The veto results presented here come from studies on the S3 playground data. LIGO's interferometer channels and physical environmental monitors were monitored, and events in these channels coincident with inspiral triggers were examined.
24077435
Bayesian reconstruction of gravitational wave burst signals from simulations of rotating stellar core collapse and bounce
Presented in this paper is a technique that we propose for extracting the physical parameters of a rotating stellar core collapse from the observation of the associated gravitational wave signal from the collapse and core bounce. Data from interferometric gravitational wave detectors can be used to provide information on the mass of the progenitor model, precollapse rotation, and the nuclear equation of state. We use waveform libraries provided by the latest numerical simulations of rotating stellar core collapse models in general relativity, and from them create an orthogonal set of eigenvectors using principal component analysis. Bayesian inference techniques are then used to reconstruct the associated gravitational wave signal that is assumed to be detected by an interferometric detector. Posterior probability distribution functions are derived for the amplitudes of the principal component analysis eigenvectors, and the pulse arrival time. We show how the reconstructed signal and the principal component analysis eigenvector amplitude estimates may provide information on the physical parameters associated with the core collapse event.
28345902
Bayesian modeling of source confusion in LISA data
One of the greatest data analysis challenges for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is the need to account for a large number of gravitational wave signals from compact binary systems expected to be present in the data. We introduce the basis of a Bayesian method that we believe can address this challenge and demonstrate its effectiveness on a simplified problem involving 100 synthetic sinusoidal signals in noise. We use a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to infer simultaneously the number of signals present, the parameters of each identified signal, and the noise level. Our approach therefore tackles the detection and parameter estimation problems simultaneously, without the need to evaluate formal model selection criteria, such as the Akaike Information Criterion or explicit Bayes factors. The method does not require a stopping criterion to determine the number of signals and produces results which compare very favorably with classical spectral techniques.
19285061
A Metropolis–Hastings routine for estimating parameters from compact binary inspiral events with laser interferometric gravitational radiation data
Presented here are the results of a Metropolis–Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo routine applied to the problem of determining parameters for coalescing binary systems observed with laser interferometric detectors. The Metropolis– Hastings routine is described in detail, and examples show that signals may be detected and analysed from within noisy data. Using the Bayesian framework of statistical inference, posterior distributions for the parameters of the binary system are derived using our routine.