C. Rogan

One of the simplest viable models for dark matter is an additional neutral scalar, stabilised by a Z2 symmetry. Using the GAMBIT package and combining results from four independent samplers, we present Bayesian and frequentist global fits of this model. We vary the singlet mass and coupling along with 13 nuisance parameters, including nuclear uncertainties relevant for direct detection, the local dark matter density, and selected quark masses and couplings. We include the dark matter relic density measured by Planck, direct searches with LUX, PandaX, SuperCDMS and XENON100, limits on invisible Higgs decays from the Large Hadron Collider, searches for high-energy neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun with IceCube, and searches for gamma rays from annihilation in dwarf galaxies with the Fermi-LAT. Viable solutions remain at couplings of order unity, for singlet masses between the Higgs mass and about 300 GeV, and at masses above ∼ 1 TeV. Only in the latter case can the scalar singlet constitute all of dark matter. Frequentist analysis shows that the low-mass resonance region, where the singlet is about half the mass of the Higgs, can also account for all of dark matter, and remains viable. However, Bayesian considerations show this region to be rather fine-tuned.

The discovery of a Higgs particle is possible in a variety of search channels at the LHC. However, the true identity of any putative Higgs boson will, at first, remain ambiguous until one has experimentally excluded other possible assignments of quantum numbers and couplings. We quantify the degree to which one can discriminate a standard model Higgs boson from ``look-alikes'' at, or close to, the moment of discovery at the LHC. We focus on the fully-reconstructible golden decay mode to a pair of $Z$ bosons and a four-lepton final state. Considering both on-shell and off-shell $Z$'s, we show how to utilize the full decay information from the events, including the distributions and correlations of the five relevant angular variables. We demonstrate how the finite phase space acceptance of any LHC detector sculpts the decay distributions, a feature neglected in previous studies. We use likelihood ratios to discriminate a standard model Higgs from look-alikes with other spins or nonstandard parity, $CP$, or form factors. For a resonance mass of $200\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}/{c}^{2}$, we achieve a median discrimination significance of $3\ensuremath{\sigma}$ with as few as 19 events, and even better discrimination for the off-shell decays of a $145\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}/{c}^{2}$ resonance.

We present the most comprehensive global fits to date of three supersymmetric models motivated by grand unification: the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM), and its Non-Universal Higgs Mass generalisations NUHM1 and NUHM2. We include likelihoods from a number of direct and indirect dark matter searches, a large collection of electroweak precision and flavour observables, direct searches for supersymmetry at LEP and Runs I and II of the LHC, and constraints from Higgs observables. Our analysis improves on existing results not only in terms of the number of included observables, but also in the level of detail with which we treat them, our sampling techniques for scanning the parameter space, and our treatment of nuisance parameters. We show that stau co-annihilation is now ruled out in the CMSSM at more than 95\% confidence. Stop co-annihilation turns out to be one of the most promising mechanisms for achieving an appropriate relic density of dark matter in all three models, whilst avoiding all other constraints. We find high-likelihood regions of parameter space featuring light stops and charginos, making them potentially detectable in the near future at the LHC. We also show that tonne-scale direct detection will play a largely complementary role, probing large parts of the remaining viable parameter space, including essentially all models with multi-TeV neutralinos.

Searches for supersymmetric electroweakinos have entered a crucial phase, as the integrated luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider is now high enough to compensate for their weak production cross-sections. Working in a framework where the neutralinos and charginos are the only light sparticles in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, we use gambit to perform a detailed likelihood analysis of the electroweakino sector. We focus on the impacts of recent ATLAS and CMS searches with 36 fb$^{-1}$ of 13 TeV proton-proton collision data. We also include constraints from LEP and invisible decays of the $Z$ and Higgs bosons. Under the background-only hypothesis, we show that current LHC searches do not robustly exclude any range of neutralino or chargino masses. However, a pattern of excesses in several LHC analyses points towards a possible signal, with neutralino masses of $(m_{\tildeχ_1^0}, m_{\tildeχ_2^0}, m_{\tildeχ_3^0}, m_{\tildeχ_4^0})$ = (8-155, 103-260, 130-473, 219-502) GeV and chargino masses of $(m_{\tildeχ_1^{\pm}}, m_{\tildeχ_2^{\pm}})$ = (104-259, 224-507) GeV at the 95% confidence level. The lightest neutralino is mostly bino, with a possible modest Higgsino or wino component. We find that this excess has a combined local significance of $3.3σ$, subject to a number of cautions. If one includes LHC searches for charginos and neutralinos conducted with 8 TeV proton-proton collision data, the local significance is lowered to 2.9$σ$. We briefly consider the implications for dark matter, finding that the correct relic density can be obtained through the Higgs-funnel and $Z$-funnel mechanisms, even assuming that all other sparticles are decoupled. All samples, gambit input files and best-fit models from this study are available on Zenodo.

We study the seven-dimensional Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM7) with the new GAMBIT software framework, with all parameters defined at the weak scale. Our analysis significantly extends previous weak-scale, phenomenological MSSM fits, by adding more and newer experimental analyses, improving the accuracy and detail of theoretical predictions, including dominant uncertainties from the Standard Model, the Galactic dark matter halo and the quark content of the nucleon, and employing novel and highly-efficient statistical sampling methods to scan the parameter space. We find regions of the MSSM7 that exhibit co-annihilation of neutralinos with charginos, stops and sbottoms, as well as models that undergo resonant annihilation via both light and heavy Higgs funnels. We find high-likelihood models with light charginos, stops and sbottoms that have the potential to be within the future reach of the LHC. Large parts of our preferred parameter regions will also be accessible to the next generation of direct and indirect dark matter searches, making prospects for discovery in the near future rather good.

Flavour physics observables are excellent probes of new physics up to very high energy scales. Here we present FlavBit, the dedicated flavour physics module of the global-fitting package GAMBIT. FlavBit includes custom implementations of various likelihood routines for a wide range of flavour observables, including detailed uncertainties and correlations associated with LHCb measurements of rare, leptonic and semileptonic decays of B and D mesons, kaons and pions. It provides a generalised interface to external theory codes such as SuperIso, allowing users to calculate flavour observables in and beyond the Standard Model, and then test them in detail against all relevant experimental data. We describe FlavBit and its constituent physics in some detail, then give examples from supersymmetry and effective field theory illustrating how it can be used both as a standalone library for flavour physics, and within GAMBIT.

We describe the open-source global fitting package GAMBIT: the Global And Modular Beyond-the-Standard-Model Inference Tool. GAMBIT combines extensive calculations of observables and likelihoods in particle and astroparticle physics with a hierarchical model database, advanced tools for automatically building analyses of essentially any model, a flexible and powerful system for interfacing to external codes, a suite of different statistical methods and parameter scanning algorithms, and a host of other utilities designed to make scans faster, safer and more easily-extendible than in the past. Here we give a detailed description of the framework, its design and motivation, and the current models and other specific components presently implemented in GAMBIT. Accompanying papers deal with individual modules and present first GAMBIT results. GAMBIT can be downloaded from gambit.hepforge.org.

We describe ColliderBit, a new code for the calculation of high energy collider observables in theories of physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). ColliderBit features a generic interface to BSM models, a unique parallelised Monte Carlo event generation scheme suitable for large-scale supercomputer applications, and a number of LHC analyses, covering a reasonable range of the BSM signatures currently sought by ATLAS and CMS. ColliderBit also calculates likelihoods for Higgs sector observables, and LEP searches for BSM particles. These features are provided by a combination of new code unique to ColliderBit, and interfaces to existing state-of-the-art public codes. ColliderBit is both an important part of the GAMBIT framework for BSM inference, and a standalone tool for efficiently applying collider constraints to theories of new physics.

We introduce $Recursive~Jigsaw~Reconstruction$, a technique for analyzing reconstructed particle interactions in the presence of kinematic and combinatoric unknowns associated with unmeasured and indistinguishable particles, respectively. By factorizing missing information according to decays and rest frames of intermediate particles, an interchangeable and configurable set of $Jigsaw~Rules$, algorithms for resolving these unknowns, are applied to approximately reconstruct decays with arbitrarily many particles, in their entirety. That the Recursive Jigsaw Reconstruction approach can be used to analyze $any$ event topology of interest, with any number of ambiguities, is demonstrated through a twelve different simulated LHC physics examples. These include the production and decay of $W$, $Z$, Higgs bosons, and supersymmetric particles including gluinos, stop quarks, charginos, and neutralinos.

The observation of light super-partners from a supersymmetric extension to the Standard Model is an intensely sought-after experimental outcome, providing an explanation for the stabilization of the electroweak scale and indicating the existence of new particles which could be consistent with dark matter phenomenology. For compressed scenarios, where sparticle spectra mass-splittings are small and decay products carry low momenta, dedicated techniques are required in all searches for supersymmetry. In this paper we suggest an approach for these analyses based on the concept of Recursive Jigsaw Reconstruction, decomposing each event into a basis of complementary observables, for cases where strong initial state radiation has sufficient transverse momentum to elicit the recoil of any final state sparticles. We introduce a collection of kinematic observables which can be used to probe compressed scenarios, in particular exploiting the correlation between missing momentum and that of radiative jets. As an example, we study squark and gluino production, focusing on mass-splittings between parent super-particles and their lightest decay products between 25 and 200 GeV, in hadronic final states where there is an ambiguity in the provenance of reconstructed jets.

Physical theories that depend on many parameters or are tested against data from many different experiments pose unique challenges to statistical inference. Many models in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology fall into one or both of these categories. These issues are often sidestepped with statistically unsound ad hoc methods, involving intersection of parameter intervals estimated by multiple experiments, and random or grid sampling of model parameters. Whilst these methods are easy to apply, they exhibit pathologies even in low-dimensional parameter spaces, and quickly become problematic to use and interpret in higher dimensions. In this article we give clear guidance for going beyond these procedures, suggesting where possible simple methods for performing statistically sound inference, and recommendations of readily-available software tools and standards that can assist in doing so. Our aim is to provide any physicists lacking comprehensive statistical training with recommendations for reaching correct scientific conclusions, with only a modest increase in analysis burden. Our examples can be reproduced with the code publicly available at Zenodo.

Direct searches for electroweak pair production of new particles at the LHC are a difficult proposition, due to the large background and low signal cross sections. We demonstrate how these searches can be improved by a combination of new razor variables and shape analysis of signal and background kinematics. We assume that the pair-produced particles decay to charged leptons and missing energy, either directly or through a W boson. In both cases the final state is a pair of opposite sign leptons plus missing transverse energy. We estimate exclusion reach in terms of sleptons and charginos as realized in minimal supersymmetry. We compare this super-razor approach in detail to analyses based on other kinematic variables, showing how the super-razor uses more of the relevant kinematic information while achieving higher selection efficiency on signals, including cases with compressed spectra.

In Ref. (GAMBIT Collaboration: Athron et. al., Eur. Phys. J. C. arXiv:1705.07908 , 2017) we introduced the global-fitting framework GAMBIT. In this addendum, we describe a new minor version increment of this package. GAMBIT 1.1 includes full support for Mathematica backends, which we describe in some detail here. As an example, we backend SUSYHD (Vega and Villadoro, JHEP 07:159, 2015), which calculates the mass of the Higgs boson in the MSSM from effective field theory. We also describe updated likelihoods in PrecisionBit and DarkBit, and updated decay data included in DecayBit.

At the LHC, many new physics signatures feature the pair-production of massive particles with subsequent direct or cascading decays to weakly-interacting particles, such as SUSY scenarios with conserved conserved R-parity or $H \to W(\ell\nu)W(\ell\nu)$. We present a set of dimension-less variables that can assist the early discovery of processes of this type in conjunction with a set of variables with mass dimension that will expedite the characterization of these processes.

A long standing problem in kinematics at the hadron colliders is to determine the mass of invisible particles. This issue is particularly important for the signals of dark matter, which becomes one of the prominent targets of future collider experiments. In this paper, we show that the additional information from the precise timing measurement, which will be available at the planned high-liminosity run of the LHC (HL-LHC), will shade new light on the kinematics study. As a concrete example, we focus on the signal of the pair produced long-lived particles ($LLP_{1,2}$), respectively leaving displaced vertex with visible ($V_{1,2}$) and invisible ($I_{1,2}$) final state, $pp \to LLP_1+LLP_2 \to (V_1+I_1)+(V_2+I_2)$. We explicitly show that this system is completely solvable with timing information.

Abstract The viscoplastic behavior of a carbon fiber/polymer matrix composite is investigated via different modeling schemes. The first model is phenomenological in nature based on the overstress‐viscoplasticity. The second model utilizes neural networks paradigms. Genetic algorithm‐based strategies are used to prune the proposed neural network. Several optimization algorithms are implemented for training the network. In comparison, the neurocomputational model is found to outperform the phenomenological model. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers

At the LHC, many new physics signatures feature the pair-production of massive particles with subsequent direct or cascading decays to weakly-interacting particles, such as SUSY scenarios with conserved conserved R-parity or $H \to W(\ell\nu)W(\ell\nu)$. We present a set of dimension-less variables that can assist the early discovery of processes of this type in conjunction with a set of variables with mass dimension that will expedite the characterization of these processes.

The construction and LHC phenomenology of the razor variables MR, an event-by-event indicator of the heavy particle mass scale, and R, a dimensionless variable related to the transverse momentum imbalance of events and missing transverse energy, are presented. The variables are used in the analysis of the first proton-proton collisions dataset at CMS (35 pb-1) in a search for superpartners of the quarks and gluons, targeting indirect hints of dark matter candidates in the context of supersymmetric theoretical frameworks. The analysis produced the highest sensitivity results for SUSY to date and extended the LHC reach far beyond the previous Tevatron results. A generalized inclusive search is subsequently presented for new heavy particle pairs produced in √s = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC using 4.7±0.1 fb-1 of integrated luminosity from the second LHC run of 2011. The selected events are analyzed in the 2D razor-space of MR and R and the analysis is performed in 12 tiers of all-hadronic, single and double leptons final states in the presence and absence of b-quarks, probing the third generation sector using the event heavy- flavor content. The search is sensitive to generic supersymmetry models with minimal assumptions about the superpartner decay chains. No excess is observed in the number or shape of event yields relative to Standard Model predictions. Exclusion limits are derived in the CMSSM framework with gluino masses up to 800 GeV and squark masses up to 1.35 TeV excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on the model parameters. The results are also interpreted for a collection of simplified models, in which gluinos are excluded with masses as large as 1.1 TeV, for small neutralino masses, and the first-two generation squarks, stops and sbottoms are excluded for masses up to about 800, 425 and 400 GeV, respectively.

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the LHC is equipped with a high precision lead tungstate crystal electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL). To ensure the stability of the calorimetric response at the level of a few per mille, every channel of the detector is monitored with a laser system. This system enables corrections for fluctuations in the detector response with high precision, in particular the expected radiation induced changes in the crystal transparency. We describe the implementation of the laser monitoring system and report results from tests on the fully equipped supermodules of the ECAL. Specifically, we discuss results concerning the dynamics of crystal transparency change from dedicated irradiation studies in test beams.

The construction and LHC phenomenology of the razor variables MR, an event-by-event indicator of the heavy particle mass scale, and R, a dimensionless variable related to the transverse momentum imbalance of events and missing transverse energy, are presented.  The variables are used  in the analysis of the first proton-proton collisions dataset at CMS  (35 pb-1) in a search for superpartners of the quarks and gluons, targeting indirect hints of dark matter candidates in the context of supersymmetric theoretical frameworks. The analysis produced the highest sensitivity results for SUSY to date and extended the LHC reach far beyond the previous Tevatron results.  A generalized inclusive search is subsequently presented for new heavy particle pairs produced in √s = 7 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHC using 4.7±0.1 fb-1 of integrated luminosity from the second LHC run of 2011.  The selected events are analyzed in the 2D razor-space of MR and R and the analysis is performed in 12 tiers of all-hadronic, single and double leptons final states in the presence and absence of b-quarks, probing the third generation sector using the event heavy-flavor content. The search is sensitive to generic supersymmetry models with minimal assumptions about the superpartner decay chains. No excess is observed in the number or shape of event yields relative to Standard Model predictions. Exclusion limits are derived in the CMSSM framework with  gluino masses up to 800 GeV and squark masses up to 1.35 TeV excluded at 95% confidence level, depending on the model parameters. The results are also interpreted for a collection of simplified models, in which gluinos are excluded with masses as large as 1.1 TeV, for small neutralino masses, and the first-two generation squarks, stops and sbottoms are excluded for masses up to about 800, 425 and 400 GeV, respectively. With the discovery of a new boson by the CMS and ATLAS experiments in the γ-γ and 4 lepton final states, the identity of the putative Higgs candidate must be established through the measurements of its properties. The spin and quantum numbers are of particular importance, and we describe a method for measuring the JPC of this particle using the observed signal events in the H to ZZ* to 4 lepton channel developed before the discovery. Adaptations of the razor kinematic variables are introduced for the H to WW* to 2 lepton/2 neutrino channel, improving the resonance mass resolution and increasing the discovery significance. The prospects for incorporating this channel in an examination of the new boson JPC is discussed, with indications that this it could provide complementary information to the H to ZZ* to 4 lepton final state, particularly for measuring CP-violation in these decays.

The observation of a new b baryon via its strong decay into Ξ_b^-π^+ (plus charge conjugates) is reported. The measurement uses a data sample of pp collisions at √s=7  TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.3  fb^(-1). The known Ξb- baryon is reconstructed via the decay chain Ξ_b^-→J/ψΞ^-→μ^+μ^-Λ^0π^-, with Λ^0→pπ^-. A peak is observed in the distribution of the difference between the mass of the Ξ^b^-π^+ system and the sum of the masses of the Ξ_b^- and π^+, with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations. The mass difference of the peak is 14.84±0.74(stat)±0.28(syst)  MeV. The new state most likely corresponds to the J^P=3/2^+ companion of the Ξ_b.

We present the preparatory work for the measurement of the W + jets / Z + jets ratio and the use of the Z + jets sample as a “candle for physics and detector commissioning with the first LHC data at CMS. The studies target the early understanding of the W + jets and Z + jets production at the LHC. They provide handles for data-driven extraction of Standard Model backgrounds to New Physics searches, a direct probe of New Physics and a benchmark for testing relevant QCD calculations.

We present the preparatory work for the measurement of the W + jets / Z + jets ratio and the use of the Z + jets sample as a “candle for physics and detector commissioning with the first LHC data at CMS. The studies target the early understanding of the W + jets and Z + jets production at the LHC. They provide handles for data-driven extraction of Standard Model backgrounds to New Physics searches, a direct probe of New Physics and a benchmark for testing relevant QCD calculations.

Overlays are normally applied on pavements that exhibit a certain degree of cracking. In addition to enhancing the strength of a pavement, they also correct excessive surface distresses, restore the ride quality and reduce maintenance costs of surface repairs. In cases where there are limited maintenance budgets, thinner overlays are becoming more and more popular. Without any modification of the overlay system this will result in cracking. This paper examines overlay modifiaction via the addition of four synthetic fabric reinforcements. To simulate the mechanisms which lead to reflective cracking, three main tests were used. The Wheel tracking test was used to simulate traffic loading. The INAPOT Tensile test was used to measure tensile strength enhancement and bond strength. The Dartec dynamic load frame was used to assess rate of propagation with time. The paper concludes with a site investigation where one of the fabrics was used to reinforce the asphaltic overlay. As yet few conclusive results are available. Nevertheless the laboratory results suggest that the woven fabric has potential in retarding growth rate. What remains to be seen is its effective crack control in the field. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 875331.