Offline challenge

Overview

Teaching: 0 min
Exercises: 30 min

Questions

• How well do you understand what we covered?

Objectives

• Determine what collision data is applicable to some search

• Determine what simulation data is potential background to some search

Will you make the next big discovery?

Image from Science magazine

You have formulated a new theory that predicts a brand new particle! You call this particle an ULTIMATON

You calculate that the most likely decay of an ultimaton is to two (2) same-sign charged leptons and two (2) jets of any flavour. The predicted mass is in the 300-500 GeV/c^2 range and you plan on going looking for it in the CMS Open Data!

Let’s see what you’ll need. Consider only the 2012 run period.

Triggers

What triggers are most sensitive to this process? How many records are there for each of the triggers you are interested in? How many events?

Background

What Standard Model processes might contribute to the background? Are there any simulation samples that can help you study this?

Remind yourself of the following:

• What does the top-quark decay to?
• What does a W boson decay to?
• What does a Z boson decay to?
• What is the Drell-Yan process?

Do you think any of these process are significant? Can any be ignored?

Look at the Standard Model samples. Do you see any of these processes in there?

Is this background?

Consider this sample. What process is this? Could this be a significant background, if the cross section is large?

Key Points

• It can take some time and some effort to figure out what collision data and what simulation data is appropriate for your analysis