We study production of Kaluza-Klein (KK) gluons at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the framework of a warped extra dimension with the standard model fields propagating in the bulk. We show that the detection of the KK gluon is challenging since its production is suppressed by small couplings to the proton’s constituents. Moreover, the KK gluon decays mostly to top pairs due to an enhanced coupling and hence is broad. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that for MKKG?4??TeV, 100??fb-1 of data at the LHC can provide discovery of the KK gluon. We utilize a sizable left-right polarization asymmetry from the KK gluon resonance to maximize the signal significance, and we explore the novel feature of extremely highly energetic “top-jets.” We briefly discuss how the detection of electroweak gauge KK states (Z/W) faces a similar challenge since their leptonic decays (golden modes) are suppressed. Our analysis suggests that other frameworks, for example, little Higgs, which rely on UV completion via strong dynamics might face similar challenges, namely, (1) suppressed production rates for the new particles (such as Z?), due to their “light-fermion-phobic” nature, and (2) difficulties in detection since the new particles are broad and decay predominantly to third generation quarks and longitudinal gauge bosons

CERN LHC signals from warped extra dimensions

Non-baryonic, or "dark", matter is believed to be a major component of the total mass budget of the Universe. We review the candidates for particle dark matter and discuss the prospects for direct detection (via interaction of dark matter particles with laboratory detectors) and indirect detection (via observations of the products of dark matter self-annihilations), focusing in particular on the Galactic center, which is among the most promising targets for indirect detection studies. The gravitational potential at the Galactic center is dominated by stars and by the supermassive black hole, and the dark matter distribution is expected to evolve on sub-parsec scales due to interaction with these components. We discuss the dominant interaction mechanisms and show how they can be used to rule out certain extreme models for the dark matter distribution, thus increasing the information that can be gleaned from indirect detection searches.

Dark matter dynamics and indirect detection

We describe a kinematic method which is capable of determining the overall mass scale in SUSY-like events at a hadron collider with two missing (dark matter) particles. We focus on the kinematic topology in which a pair of identical particles is produced with each decaying to two leptons and an invisible particle (schematically, $pp\to YY+jets$ followed by each $Y$ decaying via $Y\to \ell X\to \ell\ell'N$ where $N$ is invisible). This topology arises in many SUSY processes such as squark and gluino production and decay, not to mention $t\anti t$ di-lepton decays. In the example where the final state leptons are all muons, our errors on the masses of the particles $Y$, $X$ and $N$ in the decay chain range from 4 GeV for 2000 events after cuts to 13 GeV for 400 events after cuts. Errors for mass differences are much smaller. Our ability to determine masses comes from considering all the kinematic information in the event, including the missing momentum, in conjunction with the quadratic constraints that arise from the $Y$, $X$ and $N$ mass-shell conditions. Realistic missing momentum and lepton momenta uncertainties are included in the analysis.

Mass Determination in SUSY-like Events with Missing Energy

Extra dimensions provide a very useful tool in addressing a number of the fundamental problems faced by the Standard Model. The following provides a very basic introduction to this very broad subject area as given at the VIII School of the Gravitational and Mathematical Physics Division of the Mexican Physical Society in December 2009. Some prospects for extra dimensional searches at the 7 TeV LHC with {approx}1 fb{sup -1} of integrated luminosity are provided.

/pdf/introduction-to-extra-dimensions-43wywiutea.pdf

Introduction to Extra Dimensions

Discoveries at the LHC will soon set the physics agenda for future colliders. This report of a CERN Theory Institute includes the summaries of Working Groups that reviewed the physics goals and prospects of LHC running with 10 to 300/fb of integrated luminosity, of the proposed sLHC luminosity upgrade, of the ILC, of CLIC, of the LHeC and of a muon collider. The four Working Groups considered possible scenarios for the first 10/fb of data at the LHC in which (i) a state with properties that are compatible with a Higgs boson is discovered, (ii) no such state is discovered either because the Higgs properties are such that it is difficult to detect or because no Higgs boson exists, (iii) a missing-energy signal beyond the Standard Model is discovered as in some supersymmetric models, and (iv) some other exotic signature of new physics is discovered. In the contexts of these scenarios, the Working Groups reviewed the capabilities of the future colliders to study in more detail whatever new physics may be discovered by the LHC. Their reports provide the particle physics community with some tools for reviewing the scientific priorities for future colliders after the LHC produces its first harvest of new physics from multi-TeV collisions.

P. Perrodo

Papers

Beyond The Standard Model Working Group

The Beyond the Standard Model Working Group: Summary Report