IIHE topical seminar: LHC: Searching for the Hidden Sectors of the Universe

by Prof. Alexei N Safonov (Texas A&M University)

Wednesday 15 Apr 2015, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Brussels

Jean Sacton Seminar Room (1G003) (IIHE (VUB))

abstract: This talk will discuss recent searches for the evidence of hidden sectors predicted in several classes of models beyond Standard Model embarking on explaining a range of phenomena from the baryon asymmetry and dark matter in the Universe to addressing the issue of fine tuning required by a light Higgs boson. Many of these models predict existence of new bosons that only very weakly couple to the Standard Model particles making them virtually undetectable in earlier experiments. The LHC can provide access to these particles via the production of Higgs bosons that can contain these new hidden particles in their decay products. Searches for the new boson decays using muon pairs provides an exceptional sensitivity due to the striking signature and low background contamination. This analysis relies heavily on the excellent performance of the CMS detector's muon system. As most of the final LHC dataset will be collected at ultra high luminosity, the ultimate sensitivity of the LHC to this and other rare signatures will be determined by the performance of the detectors during that period. In the second part of the talk, we will discuss the CMS plans for the upgrades of the muon detectors and the expected performance in the high luminosity LHC regime.