Work

From obstacle to opportunity: Uncovering the silver lining of pileup

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The lack of evidence for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) particles might be due to their light mass and very weak interactions, as exemplified by BSM long-lived particles (LLPs). Such particles can be produced from B or D hadron decays. Typically, the high values of pileup (PU) in hadron colliders are expected to pose a major challenge in light new physics searches. We propose a fresh perspective that counters this conventional wisdom: instead of viewing PU solely as an impediment, we highlight its potential benefits in searches for light LLPs from B or D hadron decays at HL-LHC and FCC-hh. In particular, certain forward detectors in LHC experiments, such as the Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDC), which are currently not utilized for LLP searches, can be repurposed with strategic modifications to play a crucial role in this endeavor. Leveraging a combination of forward and central detectors, along with smart strategies for triggering and offline analysis, we demonstrate the potential for exploring light LLPs in high PU scenarios.

Source: Physics Letters B

DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140121

Authors: Biplob Bhattacherjee, Abhinav Kumar, Swagata Mukherjee, Rhitaja Sengupta, Anand Sharma

Institutions: Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, University of Bonn

Language: English

Topic: Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Science and Engineering Research Board

Awards: G312893335, G8256261616