Abstract
A search for pair production of bottom squarks in events with hadronically decaying τ-leptons, b-tagged jets and large missing transverse momentum is presented. The analyzed dataset is based on proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector from 2015 to 2018, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The observed data are compatible with the expected Standard Model background. Results are interpreted in a simplified model where each bottom squark is assumed to decay into the second-lightest neutralino χ͂ 02 and a bottom quark, with χ͂ 02 decaying into a Higgs boson and the lightest neutralino χ͂ 01. The search focuses on final states where at least one Higgs boson decays into a pair of hadronically decaying τ-leptons. This allows the acceptance and thus the sensitivity to be significantly improved relative to the previous results at low masses of the χ͂ 02, where bottom-squark masses up to 850 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, assuming a mass difference of 130 GeV between χ͂ 02 and χ͂ 01. Model-independent upper limits are also set on the cross section of processes beyond the Standard Model.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 032014 |
Number of pages | 31 |
Journal | Physical Review D |
Volume | 104 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2021 |
Bibliographical note
45 pages in total, author list starting page 29, 8 figures, 8 tables, submitted to Phys. Rev. D. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/SUSY-2018-40Keywords
- hep-ex