RTG Seminar by Dr. Federico Meloni

Heavy flavour (s)quarks: Supersymmetry and Dark Matter searches at LHC

Abstract

Astronomical and cosmological observations constitute strong evidence for the existence of dark matter in the universe. Despite not yet being observed, weak scale supersymmetry remains one of the most compelling theories extending the Standard Model and providing a dark matter candidate. Final states with heavy flavour quarks and momentum imbalance allow to probe models where dark matter is produced in the decay of coloured scalars (top squarks) or neutral scalars (higgs-like mediators). Searches for pair-produced third generation squarks and invisible decays of spin 0 mediators, using LHC data at sqrt(s)=13 TeV, will be presented. Some of the main analysis techniques and challenges will be reviewed, together with a perspective on the future of dark matter searches at the LHC and its high luminosity upgrades.