Prompt Signals and Displaced Vertices in the NMSSM

by Giovanna Cottin (Cambridge University)

Thursday 27 Oct 2016, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/London

OC218 (IPPP)

In this talk, we study the LHC phenomenology of a model that combines minimal Gauge Mediation and the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. The model possesses regions of parameter space where a longer-lived lightest neutralino decays inside the detector resulting in potential displaced vertex (DV) signatures. We investigate current bounds on sparticle masses and the discovery potential of the model, both via conventional searches and via searches for displaced vertices. I will comment on the reach of prompt searches and also summarize on current long-lived particle searches at the LHC, including details of the ATLAS multi-track DV+jets analysis we recast. We realize that the current DV searches cannot probe this model due to b−quarks in the final state. We show how the displaced vertex cuts might be relaxed in order to improve signal efficiency, while simultaneously applied prompt cuts reduce background, resulting in a much better sensitivity than either strategy alone and motivating a fully fledged experimental study.