Search for Soft Unclustered Energy Patterns in Proton-Proton Collisions at 13 TeV

Abstract

The first search for soft unclustered energy patterns (SUEPs) is performed using an integrated luminosity of <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><a:mrow><a:mn>138</a:mn><a:mtext> </a:mtext><a:mtext> </a:mtext><a:msup><a:mrow><a:mi>fb</a:mi></a:mrow><a:mrow><a:mo>−</a:mo><a:mn>1</a:mn></a:mrow></a:msup></a:mrow></a:math> of proton-proton collision data at <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><c:mrow><c:msqrt><c:mrow><c:mi>s</c:mi></c:mrow></c:msqrt><c:mo>=</c:mo><c:mn>13</c:mn><c:mtext> </c:mtext><c:mtext> </c:mtext><c:mi>TeV</c:mi></c:mrow></c:math>, collected in 2016–2018 by the CMS detector at the LHC. Such SUEPs are predicted by hidden valley models with a new, confining force with a large ’t Hooft coupling. In events with boosted topologies, selected by high-threshold hadronic triggers, the multiplicity and sphericity of clustered tracks are used to reject the background from standard model quantum chromodynamics. With no observed excess of events over the standard model expectation, limits are set on the cross section for production via gluon fusion of a scalar mediator with SUEP-like decays. © 2024 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration 2024 CERN