Odd tracks at hadron colliders.

Area of Science:

• High Energy Physics
• Particle Physics
• Collider Physics

Background:

• New physics phenomena at hadron colliders can manifest as irregular particle tracks (kinks, decay in flight).
• Such signatures may evade standard detection and triggering strategies at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
• Previous anomalous charged track measurements by CDF were not fully reconciled with later experiments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate models of light, colored particles decaying within the detector tracker.
• To assess the detectability of these particles at the LHC.
• To explain the discrepancy in anomalous charged track measurements.

Main Methods:

• Studying theoretical models of new physics with specific decay signatures.
• Analyzing particle production rates and detector responses at the LHC.
• Reconciling experimental results from CDF, ATLAS, and CMS.

Main Results:

• Light, O(10 GeV) colored particles decaying in the tracker can be produced at high rates but may be missed by the LHC.
• The studied models successfully explain the original CDF anomalous charged track measurement.
• These models reconcile the CDF measurement with subsequent reanalyses and null results from ATLAS and CMS.

Conclusions:

• The search for new physics at the LHC requires dedicated strategies for irregular track signatures.
• Irregular tracks provide a crucial handle for discovering new physics beyond the Standard Model.
• Comprehensive studies of these signatures are essential for maximizing discovery potential at the LHC.