Identification of Hadronically Decaying Tau Leptons in Searches for Heavy MSSM Higgs Bosons with the CMS Detector at the CERN LHC

This thesis describes methods for the reliable identification of hadronically decaying tau leptons in the search for heavy Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model of particle physics (MSSM). The identification of the hadronic tau lepton decays, i.e. tau-jets, is applied to the gg->bbH, H->tautau and gg->tbH+, H+->taunu processes to be searched for in the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Of all the event selections applied in these final states, the tau-jet identification is the single most important event selection criterion to separate the tiny Higgs boson signal from a large number of background events. The tau-jet identification is studied with methods based on a signature of a low charged track multiplicity, the containment of the decay products within a narrow cone, an isolated electromagnetic energy deposition, a non-zero tau lepton flight path, the absence of electrons, muons, and neutral hadrons in the decay signature, and a relatively small tau lepton mass compared to the mass of most hadrons. Furthermore, in the H+->taunu channel, helicity correlations are exploited to separate the signal tau jets from those originating from the W->taunu decays. Since many of these identification methods rely on the reconstruction of charged particle tracks, the systematic uncertainties resulting from the mechanical tolerances of the tracking sensor positions are estimated with care. The tau-jet identification and other standard selection methods are applied to the search for the heavy neutral and charged Higgs bosons in the H->tautau and H+->taunu decay channels. For the H+->taunu channel, the tau-jet identification is redone and optimized with a recent and more detailed event simulation than previously in the CMS experiment. Both decay channels are found to be very promising for the discovery of the heavy MSSM Higgs bosons. The Higgs boson(s), whose existence has not yet been experimentally verified, are a part of the standard model and its most popular extensions. They are a manifestation of a mechanism which breaks the electroweak symmetry and generates masses for particles. Since the H->tautau and H+->taunu decay channels are important for the discovery of the Higgs bosons in a large region of the permitted parameter space, the analysis described in this thesis serves as a probe for finding out properties of the microcosm of particles and their interactions in the energy scales beyond the standard model of particle physics.

Measuring Higgs coupling to tau-leptons at future e(+)e(-) colliders

We perform a complete simulation of the process e(+)e(-) --> tau(+)tau(-)nu(ν) over bar where nu can be an electron, muon or tau neutrino, in the context of a general Higgs coupling to tau-leptons. We analyse various kinematical distributions and obtain the sensitivity regions in the parameter space that can be explored at a future e(+)e(-) collider. In particular, inclusion of W boson fusion enhances the sensitivity significantly.

Search for supersymmetry via associated production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three leptons

A search for associated production of charginos and neutralinos is performed using data recorded with the D0 detector at a p (p) over bar center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. This analysis considers final states with missing transverse energy and three charged leptons, of which at least two are electrons or muons. No evidence for supersymmetry is found in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 320 pb(-1). Limits on the product of the production cross section and leptonic branching fraction are set. For the minimal supergravity model, a chargino lower mass limit of 117 GeV at the 95% C.L. is derived in regions of parameter space with enhanced leptonic branching fractions.

Search for the lightest scalar top quark in events with two leptons in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Data collected by the do detector at a p (p) over bar center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider have been used to search for pair production of the lightest supersymmetric partner of the top quark decaying into bl (nu) over tilde. The search is performed in the ll' = e mu and mu mu final states. No evidence for this process has been found in data samples of approximately 400 pb(-1). The domain in the [M((t) over tilde (1)), M((nu) over tilde)] plane excluded at the 95% C.L. is substantially extended by this search. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Search for the lightest scalar top quark in events with two leptons in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A search for excited leptons in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for squark production in events with jets, hadronically decaying tau leptons and missing transverse energy at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measurement of the top quark mass in final states with two leptons

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Measurement of the top-quark mass in p(p)over-bar collisions using events with two leptons

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measurement of the t(t)over-bar production cross section in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV using the kinematic properties of events with leptons and jets

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Observation of Z decays to four leptons with the CMS detector at the LHC

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Compositeness effects in the anomalous weak-magnetic moment of leptons

We investigate the effects induced by excited leptons, at the one-loop level, in the anomalous magnetic and weak-magnetic form factors of the leptons. In particular, we compute their contributions to the weak-magnetic moment of the tau lepton, which can be measured on the Z peak, and we compare it with the contributions to g(mu) - 2, measured at low energies.

HEAVY CHARGED LEPTONS IN AN SU(3)L-CIRCLE-TIMES-U(1)N MODEL

We consider an SU(3)L x U(1)N model for the electroweak interactions which includes extra charged leptons which do not mix with the known leptons. These new leptons couple to Z0 only through vector currents. We consider constraints on the mass of one of these leptons coming from the Z0 width and from the muon (g - 2) factor. The last one is less restrictive than the former.