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CMS-SUS-19-002 ; CERN-EP-2019-196
Search for supersymmetry with a compressed mass spectrum in events with a soft $\tau$ lepton, a highly energetic jet, and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124 (2020) 041803
Abstract: The first search for supersymmetry in events with an experimental signature of one soft, hadronically decaying $ \tau $ lepton, one energetic jet from initial-state radiation, and large transverse momentum imbalance is presented. These event signatures are consistent with direct or indirect production of scalar $ \tau $ leptons ($\tilde{\tau}$) in supersymmetric models that exhibit coannihilation between the $\tilde{\tau}$ and the lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}^0_1$), and that could generate the observed relic density of dark matter. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 77.2 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016 and 2017. The results are interpreted in a supersymmetric scenario with a small mass difference ($\delta$) between the chargino ($\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$) or next-to-lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}^0_2$), and the $\tilde{\chi}^0_1$. The mass of the $\tilde{\tau}$ is assumed to be the average of the $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$ and $\tilde{\chi}^0_1$ masses. The data are consistent with standard model background predictions. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the sum of the $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$, $\tilde{\chi}^0_2$, and $\tilde{\tau}$ production cross sections for $\delta(\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$, $\tilde{\chi}^0_1) = $ 50 GeV, resulting in a lower limit of 290 GeV on the mass of the $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$, which is the most stringent to date and surpasses the bounds from the LEP experiments.
Figures Summary References CMS Publications
Figures

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Figure 1:
The ${m_{\mathrm {T}}}$ distribution for SR events with 2016 data (left) and 2017 data (right). In the upper panels of the figures, the solid colors correspond to the expected background processes, the black dots to the observed data, and the dashed lines to the expected signal from simulation. The lower panels of the figures show the ratio between the observed data and the total expected pre-fit background (BG). The shaded band corresponds to the total pre-fit uncertainty on the BG prediction, while the error bars on the black dots represent the statistical uncertainties on the data yields.

png pdf
Figure 1-a:
The ${m_{\mathrm {T}}}$ distribution for SR events with 2016 data (left) and 2017 data (right). In the upper panels of the figures, the solid colors correspond to the expected background processes, the black dots to the observed data, and the dashed lines to the expected signal from simulation. The lower panels of the figures show the ratio between the observed data and the total expected pre-fit background (BG). The shaded band corresponds to the total pre-fit uncertainty on the BG prediction, while the error bars on the black dots represent the statistical uncertainties on the data yields.

png pdf
Figure 1-b:
The ${m_{\mathrm {T}}}$ distribution for SR events with 2016 data (left) and 2017 data (right). In the upper panels of the figures, the solid colors correspond to the expected background processes, the black dots to the observed data, and the dashed lines to the expected signal from simulation. The lower panels of the figures show the ratio between the observed data and the total expected pre-fit background (BG). The shaded band corresponds to the total pre-fit uncertainty on the BG prediction, while the error bars on the black dots represent the statistical uncertainties on the data yields.

png pdf
Figure 2:
(left) The 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits on the SSM1 production cross sections ($\sigma _{95%\,CL}$) as a function of $m(\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1)$. The solid blue line corresponds to the theoretical cross section, and the dashed blue line to its uncertainty. The observed limit is shown with the solid black line, while the expected limit is represented with the dashed black line. The green (yellow) band corresponds to the one (two) standard deviation range about the central value of the expected limit. (right) The ratio of the 95% CL upper limit on the direct $\tilde{\tau}$ pair production signal cross section in SSM2 to the theoretical cross section, as a function of $m(\tilde{\tau})$ and $\Delta m(\tilde{\tau}, \tilde{\chi}^0_1)$.

png pdf
Figure 2-a:
(left) The 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits on the SSM1 production cross sections ($\sigma _{95%\,CL}$) as a function of $m(\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1)$. The solid blue line corresponds to the theoretical cross section, and the dashed blue line to its uncertainty. The observed limit is shown with the solid black line, while the expected limit is represented with the dashed black line. The green (yellow) band corresponds to the one (two) standard deviation range about the central value of the expected limit. (right) The ratio of the 95% CL upper limit on the direct $\tilde{\tau}$ pair production signal cross section in SSM2 to the theoretical cross section, as a function of $m(\tilde{\tau})$ and $\Delta m(\tilde{\tau}, \tilde{\chi}^0_1)$.

png pdf
Figure 2-b:
(left) The 95% confidence level (CL) upper limits on the SSM1 production cross sections ($\sigma _{95%\,CL}$) as a function of $m(\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1)$. The solid blue line corresponds to the theoretical cross section, and the dashed blue line to its uncertainty. The observed limit is shown with the solid black line, while the expected limit is represented with the dashed black line. The green (yellow) band corresponds to the one (two) standard deviation range about the central value of the expected limit. (right) The ratio of the 95% CL upper limit on the direct $\tilde{\tau}$ pair production signal cross section in SSM2 to the theoretical cross section, as a function of $m(\tilde{\tau})$ and $\Delta m(\tilde{\tau}, \tilde{\chi}^0_1)$.
Summary
In summary, we have presented a search for compressed supersymmetry. It is the first collider search with exactly one soft, hadronically-decaying tau lepton and missing transverse momentum recoiling against an initial-state radiation jet with high transverse momentum. The search utilizes data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 77.2 fb$^{-1}$ collected in 2016 and 2017 with the CMS detector in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV. This search targets compressed mass spectra where the mass difference ($\delta m$) between the stau ($\tilde{\tau}$) particle and the lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}^0_1$) is $\leq$ 50 GeV. This is motivated by models considering $\tilde{\tau}$-$\tilde{\chi}^0_1$ CA to maintain consistency in the estimation of the relic DM density between particle physics and cosmology. In the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, the search considers electroweak production of $\tilde{\tau}$ via decays of the lightest chargino ($\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$) and the next-to-lightest neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}^0_2$), and direct production of $\tilde{\tau}$. The data do not reveal evidence for new physics. For a mass splitting $\delta m(\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1,\tilde{\chi}^0_1) = $ 50 GeV and a branching fraction of 100% for $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1\to \tilde{\tau}\nu_{\tau} \to \tau\tilde{\chi}^0_1\nu_{\tau}$, $\tilde{\chi}^{\pm}_1$ masses up to 290 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level. This sensitivity exceeds that of all other $\tilde{\tau}$ searches to date in these scenarios. The search presented in this Letter provides the first results from the LHC to surpass the LEP bounds.
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