Signal background interference effects in lepton trident events with a new low mass mediator
(2020) FYTM03 20192Theoretical Particle Physics - Undergoing reorganization
- Abstract
- In this project we present a phenomenological study of signal to background interference effects in leptonic tridents produced in parton showers. The interference effects are introduced by linking matrix element corrections of a kinetically mixed dark photon model to the parton shower Dire. Using different dark photon masses and coupling strengths positron+proton collisions are simulated and different observables including the invariant mass of the lepton pair from the decay of the new vector boson mediator are studied. We find good agreement between the photon and
massless dark photon effects. - Popular Abstract
- What is the origin of the Universe? What is it made from? How can we study it? These questions are not only a common concern among the scientific community but also something that most people ask themselves at least once in their life. Nowadays it is known that the universe is made by three elemental components: normal matter, dark matter,and dark energy. Normal matter forms all the matter that we can see and touch and sense and the fundamental particles that form it are included in the so-called Standard Model. It accounts for the 4.9% of the total composition of the Universe and it is the only part that we know well. The 95.1% left is purely unknown and undiscovered. In this scenario, there are many theories as well as experiments that... (More)
- What is the origin of the Universe? What is it made from? How can we study it? These questions are not only a common concern among the scientific community but also something that most people ask themselves at least once in their life. Nowadays it is known that the universe is made by three elemental components: normal matter, dark matter,and dark energy. Normal matter forms all the matter that we can see and touch and sense and the fundamental particles that form it are included in the so-called Standard Model. It accounts for the 4.9% of the total composition of the Universe and it is the only part that we know well. The 95.1% left is purely unknown and undiscovered. In this scenario, there are many theories as well as experiments that try to prove the existence of dark matter as a particle that interacts weakly or does not interact at all, with normal matter.
Earlier studies have bet on the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) theories. These theories postulate the existence of dark matter as very massive particles that interact with normal matter through the weak force (one of the forces described in the Standard Model). However, no experimental evidence has proven the existence of WIMPs and alternative theories to continue investigating the fundamental composition of the Universe are gaining popularity.
One of the new theories is the ”hidden sector dark matter”. This sector is a subcategory of a broader spectrum of dark matter theories called light dark matter. They propose that dark matter is lighter than what we previously thought. Hidden sector theories postulate the existence of not only dark matter but also “dark photons”. This concept may sound strange, but all physicists know that if it is possible to build a theory that does not violate some important checks in our models, it may be true. Dark photons are a mediator since they can interact with both normal matter and dark matter.
This project aims to explore in detail which observable consequences the production of dark photons could have in an experiment using computer simulations. You may ask, how is it possible to study the observables of a particle that has not even been proved to exist? This is the everyday job of many theoretical physicists. Once you have a valid equation, you can predict different consequences with it. Using computer simulations, complex physics theories with very complicated or no solution can give approximate results that can be compared with experimental results. In this project, we go from theory to simulations and provide the basis for future experimental analysis. Searching for variants of dark matter is challenging and exciting and it contributes to deep in the understanding of our Universe as well as the physics laws that govern it. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9022655
- author
- Gutiérrez García, Patricia Andrea LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- FYTM03 20192
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- dark matter, pythia, matrix element corrections, LDM, Dire, Madgraph, dark photons
- language
- English
- id
- 9022655
- date added to LUP
- 2020-06-30 10:15:26
- date last changed
- 2020-06-30 10:15:26
@misc{9022655,
abstract = {{In this project we present a phenomenological study of signal to background interference effects in leptonic tridents produced in parton showers. The interference effects are introduced by linking matrix element corrections of a kinetically mixed dark photon model to the parton shower Dire. Using different dark photon masses and coupling strengths positron+proton collisions are simulated and different observables including the invariant mass of the lepton pair from the decay of the new vector boson mediator are studied. We find good agreement between the photon and
massless dark photon effects.}},
author = {{Gutiérrez García, Patricia Andrea}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Signal background interference effects in lepton trident events with a new low mass mediator}},
year = {{2020}},
}