Pith. sign in

REVIEW 3 major objections 5 minor 3 cited by

Exotic decays of top partners: mind the search gap

T0 review · 3 major / 5 minor · reviewed 2026-08-14 · deepseek-v4-flash

Challenge this review Re-run · record.json Download PDF Read on arXiv ↗ Review JSON

Pith's one-line read A charge-2/3 top partner decaying through a light pseudo-scalar to gluons can evade current LHC searches, leaving a mass bound near 400 GeV instead of 1.3–1.4 TeV.

desk verdict A careful recast that likely identifies a real gap in top-partner coverage, though the 400 GeV point rests on a fragile single-jet assumption that could shift the lower bound upward. read the letter →

arxiv 1908.07524 v2 pith:IZJBCOU3 submitted 2019-08-20 hep-ph hep-ex

Giacomo Cacciapaglia , Thomas Flacke , Myeonghun Park , Mengchao Zhang This is my paper · ORCID
classification hep-phhep-ex PACS 12.60.Rc14.65.Ha13.85.Rm12.60.-i
keywords vector-liketoppartnercompositeHiggsexoticdecayspseudo-scalarLHCsearchesrecastdijetresonancemassbound
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal

The pith

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The reading

For a charge-2/3 vector-like top partner $T$ in composite Goldstone Higgs models, the standard LHC lower bound of about $1.3$–$1.4$ TeV assumes decays only to $tZ$, $th$, and $bW$. This paper argues that when a lighter pseudo-scalar $a$ is present, the decay $T\to t a$ with $a\to gg$ or $a\to b\bar b$ opens a previously unnoticed search gap. Recasting three existing ATLAS and CMS searches for pair-produced top partners, the authors find that for $a\to gg$ dominance the bound on $m_T$ never passes about $550$ GeV for $m_a<2m_t$, and drops to roughly $390$–$400$ GeV for $m_a\simeq 50$ GeV. The reason is kinematic: a boosted light $a$ decays into a collimated jet pair that mimics a single QCD jet, so standard top-partner signals are missed.

What carries the argument

The load-bearing mechanism is the decay chain $T\to t a$ followed by $a\to gg$ or $b\bar b$, with $a$ a light pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson coupling to gluons and fermions through the effective Lagrangian (0.1). At low $m_a$ the two gluons from $a$ are boosted into a single jet whenever their angular separation satisfies $\Delta\theta<0.2$, so $T\bar T$ events look like $t\bar t jj$ and evade vector-like quark searches. The argument is carried by recasting three searches: the CMS excited-top search (grey region), the ATLAS 8 TeV multi-jet RPV SUSY search (red region), and the ATLAS 13 TeV $T\to th$ broad-band search (blue region), using the signal counting formula $N_s=\mathcal{L}\sigma_{T,\bar p}(m_T)\sum_{ij}\epsilon_{ij}(m_T)\,\mathrm{BR}_i\mathrm{BR}_j$.

What would settle it

Take $m_a=50$ GeV and $\mathrm{BR}(a\to gg)=1$, and ask whether the CMS 13 TeV excited-top dataset excludes $T\bar T$ with $m_T=400$ GeV once the $a\to gg$ system is simulated with full shower and detector response rather than the $\Delta\theta<0.2$ single-jet assumption. A 95% CL bound excluding $m_T=400$ GeV would falsify the paper's headline gap; an observed signal would confirm it.

Watch

Extended reading notes

Core claim

The central discovery is that current LHC searches leave composite-Higgs top partners with exotic decays essentially unconstrained in a wide mass window. In the benchmark $T\to t a\to t gg$ with $\mathrm{BR}(T\to t a)=100\%$, the pair-production bound falls to $m_T\gtrsim 550$ GeV for any $m_a<2m_t$, and as low as $m_T\approx 390$ GeV at $m_a=50$ GeV, compared with the $1300$–$1420$ GeV combined ATLAS bound when only standard decays are assumed. For $T\to t a\to t b\bar b$, the bound is stronger but still drops to about $900$ GeV for light $a$. The paper also shows that when both $th$ and $ta$ decays are present, masses below $800$ GeV remain allowed for $a\to gg$ as long as $\mathrm{BR}(T\to th)\lesssim 20\%$.

Load-bearing premise

The low-mass window ($m_T\sim 400$ GeV at $m_a=50$ GeV) rests on the assumption that an $a\to gg$ pair with angular separation below 0.2 is always reconstructed as a single jet and that the top-partner signal has the same efficiency as the excited-top search assumes; if real detectors merge less efficiently, or the efficiencies differ, this allowed point can disappear.

Editorial extensions

If this is right

  • The standard ATLAS/CMS lower bound $m_T>1.3$–$1.4$ TeV applies only within the assumption of standard decays; a composite-Higgs top partner with $T\to t a\to t gg$ can be as light as about $400$ GeV.
  • For $a\to gg$, no $m_a<2m_t$ is excluded above about $550$ GeV by QCD pair production, leaving a broad band of viable parameter space.
  • For $a\to b\bar b$, the $T\to th$ search regains sensitivity and exclusions above $1$ TeV reappear for $m_a\gtrsim 75$ GeV.
  • Lowering the summed-jet-mass cut in the 13 TeV RPV SUSY search, or adding a dedicated low-mass dijet resonance tag, would close much of the gap.
  • The inclusive and exclusive rescaling formulae give a simple way to translate standard search bounds into the mixed-decay case when searches have no sensitivity to $ta$.

Reading between the lines

Editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • A direct consequence the authors only hint at: naturalness arguments for a top-partner regulator around $1$ TeV are not ruled out by current data if the exotic channel dominates.
  • The same 'merged dijet' loophole likely weakens bounds on other resonances decaying to gluons when produced in association with tops; a generic $t\bar t+X$ recast with $m_{jj}$ tagging would test it.
  • A testable extension: rerun the CMS excited-top analysis with actual jet-substructure information instead of the $\Delta\theta<0.2$ single-jet assumption; measuring the tagging efficiency of $a\to gg$ directly would move the mass bounds by hundreds of GeV.
Share X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit HN

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, and a circularity audit.

Referee Report

3 major / 5 minor

Summary. The paper studies vector-like top partner T pair production in a simplified model where T can decay exotically as T -> t a, with a a light pseudoscalar decaying predominantly to gg or b bbar below the t tbar threshold. The authors recast three existing LHC searches (CMS excited-top pair production, ATLAS 8 TeV RPV SUSY multi-jet, and ATLAS 13 TeV up-type vector-like quark) into the (mT, ma) plane and into the BR(T -> th) vs mT plane. Their central result is that for BR(a -> gg) = 100%, the lower bound on mT is drastically weakened from the standard 1.3-1.4 TeV to about 400-550 GeV, leaving a 'search gap' at low ma. The paper includes cut-flow validation tables for the recasts and explicitly notes where the recasts underestimate the true bounds.

Significance. If the result holds, it identifies a well-motivated composite-Higgs decay chain that escapes the standard top-partner searches, which is a significant and timely observation. The paper is commendably transparent: the recasts are documented, validated against published event numbers in Tables I-III, and the authors flag where their treatment is approximate or conservative. The exclusion estimates are computed against independent ATLAS and CMS data rather than fitted to a desired conclusion. The main caveat, discussed below, is that the lowest-mass part of the claimed gap rests on an unvalidated assumption about jet merging and efficiency equivalence with excited-top production.

major comments (3)
  1. [Appendix A1, Eq. (A2) and Fig. 2] The single-jet merging criterion Delta theta < 0.2 is evaluated with the T at rest. In QCD pair production the T is typically boosted, and the lepton+jets selection of the excited-top search [46] preferentially selects boosted events; for these events the lab-frame separation of the a->gg pair is smaller than Eq. (A2) gives. For example, at mT = 400 GeV and ma = 50 GeV, Eq. (A2) gives Delta theta ~ 0.6 rad, so the paper places this point outside the grey region; but a T with pT ~ 600 GeV reduces Delta theta below 0.2 and such events populate the high-pT tail of the pair-production distribution. The grey excluded region in Fig. 2 is therefore likely underestimated, and the headline statement that mT ~ 400 GeV remains allowed for BR(a->gg)=100% is not protected by this recast. The merging criterion should be evaluated with the full T pT distribution, or a quantitative statement of why the at-rest approximation is conservative should be provided.
  2. [Appendix A1, single-jet efficiency assumption] The assumption that the signal efficiency for T and for an excited top quark of the same mass are equal is unvalidated. A merged a->gg jet has an invariant mass ma and a two-prong structure, whereas the gluon jet in excited-top production is a single-prong object, and the trigger and selection of [46] may respond differently to the two topologies. Because the authors state that a cut-flow recast of [46] is not possible, the grey region in Fig. 2 should be presented with an explicit systematic band, or with a robustness test such as varying the Delta theta threshold between 0.15 and 0.4, to show how much the boundary and the mT ~ 400 GeV point move.
  3. [Section II and Appendix A3, Fig. 5] The conclusion that for larger ma the bound generically never passes ~550 GeV rests on the recast of the 8 TeV RPV search [47], while the 13 TeV RPV search [48] is dismissed as 'less sensitive' because of the high M_Sigma_J cut. Fig. 5 shows that a 1 TeV T pair has little support above the M_Sigma_J threshold, but it does not quantify the expected 13 TeV limit; for lower mT the T pair cross-section is much larger, and a small residual acceptance after the M_Sigma_J cut could produce a bound comparable to or stronger than the 8 TeV one. Please provide a quantitative estimate of the 13 TeV search's expected limit on the T->t a->t gg signal, or explicitly state that this is beyond the scope of the present recast and adjust the wording of the claim accordingly.
minor comments (5)
  1. [Section I, first paragraph] The text reads 'Top parters'; this should be 'top partners'.
  2. [Section II, paragraph after Fig. 2] The wording 'mT ~ 400 GeV is still allowed' is internally inconsistent with the abstract's 'allowing a top partner mass as light as 400 GeV'; please harmonize the phrasing to clarify that the lower bound is around 400 GeV.
  3. [Fig. 3 caption and legend] The black and grey solid lines are not separately labeled in the legend; please state explicitly in the caption which curve corresponds to the inclusive rescaling and which to the exclusive rescaling.
  4. [Bibliography, Ref. [6]] The collaboration name appears as 'A TLASCollaboration'; fix the spacing.
  5. [Appendix A1, Eq. (A2)] The approximation symbol after the exact expression is unnecessary; also state the range of parameter values for which the approximate form, Delta theta ~ 4 ma mT / sqrt(...), is numerically accurate.

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged · score 1.0 of 10

No significant circularity: the central mT bound is computed from independent ATLAS/CMS limits; self-citations only provide model motivation.

full rationale

Walking the derivation chain, the paper's numerical claim that mT can be as low as roughly 400 GeV for a->gg decays is obtained by recasting three external LHC searches: the CMS excited-top search [46], the ATLAS 8 TeV RPV SUSY search [47], and the ATLAS 13 TeV vector-like-quark search [6]. The exclusion is computed by comparing the predicted pp->T Tbar cross section from Top++ with the published 95% CL cross-section upper limits, after applying the authors' own cut-flow simulations validated in Tables I-III against the experimental numbers. No parameter is fitted to the target result, and the conclusion does not reduce by construction to any input. The T->t a interaction is imported from Ref. [17], which shares two authors with the present paper, but it enters only as a benchmark model input and is not the source of the bound; the paper even scans BR(T->t a) in Section III. Likewise, the statement that a->gg dominates below 2mt is cited from Refs [35-38] with overlapping authorship, but this is motivation, and the bounds are presented for a range of BR(a->gg) values rather than derived from that claim. The main vulnerability is an approximation, not circularity: Appendix A1 explicitly states that the CMS excited-top search 'is not cut-flow based and a recast is not possible,' and the authors assume that Delta-theta < 0.2 implies single-jet tagging and that signal efficiencies equal those of excited top quarks. These are unvalidated recast simplifications; if wrong they would shift the excluded region, but they do not make the prediction equivalent to its input. Overall, no definitional, fitted-input, or self-citation chain forces the central result; the analysis is self-contained against external benchmark data, with only minor self-citation in the model-motivation layer.

Assumptions & free parameters 1 free parameters · 5 assumptions · 0 invented entities

No free parameters are fitted to data; model parameters mT, ma, and branching ratios are scanned. One ad hoc threshold controls the merged-jet recast. The axioms are the simplified-model assumptions and experimental recast approximations inherited from prior composite-Higgs literature and from the searches being recast.

free parameters (1)
  • Jet-merging threshold Delta theta < 0.2 = 0.2 rad
    Chosen by hand as the boundary below which a's decay products are treated as a single jet in the excited-top recast; this directly sets the grey excluded region in Fig. 2.
assumptions (5)
  • domain assumption The underlying composite model produces a pseudo-scalar a with sizable T -> t a coupling and a -> gg/bb dominance below the t tbar threshold.
    Taken from Refs [17,36,38], including two of the present authors; not re-derived here. Entered through Eq. (0.1) and Eq. (1.1).
  • domain assumption Narrow-width factorization of T pair production and decay.
    Section I states 'T has a small width so that production and decay can be factorised', allowing the recast to use branching ratios and signal efficiencies.
  • ad hoc to paper A merged a jet has the same signal efficiency as an excited top quark of the same mass.
    Appendix A1 assumes equal efficiency once Delta theta < 0.2; this is not validated by a detector-level simulation and is load-bearing for the low-ma gg region.
  • domain assumption Standard top-partner search regions are exclusive and insensitive to the t a channel except where explicitly identified.
    Section I and Eq. (3.1) rely on this to rescale bounds via branching ratios, with known exceptions such as the T -> t h search's sensitivity to a -> b bbar.
  • domain assumption The simplified Lagrangian Eq. (1.1) describes all relevant T couplings, with no additional decay channels beyond b W, t Z, t h, and t a.
    Model assumption used throughout, especially in the Section III scan where BR(T -> t a) + BR(T -> t h) = 100%.

how reviews work

0 comments
Cite this review

Pith. "Pith review of Exotic decays of top partners: mind the search gap." pith.science (2026). https://pith.science/paper/IZJBCOU3

@misc{pith2026190807524,
  author       = {Pith},
  title        = {Pith review of: Exotic decays of top partners: mind the search gap},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://pith.science/paper/IZJBCOU3}},
  note         = {Machine review of arXiv:1908.07524}
}
abstract

Many standard model extensions, including composite Goldstone Higgs models, predict vector-like fermionic top-partners at the TeV scale. The intensive search programmes by ATLAS and CMS focus on decays into a 3$^{\rm rd}$ generation quark and an electroweak boson ($W,Z,h$). However, underlying models of partial compositeness contain additional states that give rise to exotic top partner decays. We consider a well-motivated scenario in which a charge-$2/3$ top-partner decays into a pseudo-scalar, $T\rightarrow t\ a$, with $a\rightarrow gg \mbox{ or } b\bar{b}$ dominating below the $t\bar{t}$ threshold. We show that the constraints on the top partner mass from QCD pair production are substantially weakened, still allowing a top partner mass as light as $400$ GeV.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 1908.07524 by the authors.

Figure 1
Figure 1. FIG. 1. Example top partner production processes for elec [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p002_1.png] view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. FIG. 2. Direct search limits on [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p004_2.png] view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. FIG. 3. Direct search limits on [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p005_3.png] view at source ↗
Figures from the paper (2 more)
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: FIG. 4. Black line is the observed 95% [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p007_4.png]
Figure 6
Figure 6. Figure 6: FIG. 6. Most sensitive signal region for different [PITH_FULL_IMAGE:figures/full_fig_p008_6.png]

Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.

Forward citations

Cited by 3 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

  1. Search for pair-production of vector-like $T$ quarks decaying into a top quark and a spin-0 particle in the diphoton final state in proton proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV with the ATLAS detector

    hep-ex 2026-07 accept novelty 6.5 of 10

    No excess is observed in a first ATLAS search for pair-produced vector-like T quarks decaying via an exotic spin-0 particle to diphotons; fiducial cross-section limits and a model exclusion up to m_T≈1620 GeV are set.

  2. Electroweak phase transition with composite Higgs models: calculability, gravitational waves and collider searches

    hep-ph 2019-09 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    A strong first-order electroweak phase transition is impossible in SO(6)/SO(5) composite Higgs models under the minimal Higgs potential hypothesis, and requires undetermined UV operator contributions, as shown in a 6+...

  3. Dark matter in composite Higgs models with a scotogenic EFT

    hep-ph 2026-07 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    In the SU(6)/Sp(6) composite Higgs model with a scotogenic Z2, three of four neutral pseudo-Goldstone dark matter candidates can reproduce the observed relic density, while the SU(2)L triplet candidate fails; spin-1 r...

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

60 extracted references · 14 canonical work pages · cited by 3 Pith papers

  1. [20]

    Search for pair production of vector-like quarks in the fully hadronic final state,

    CMS Collaboration, A. M. Sirunyan et al., “Search for pair production of vector-like quarks in the fully hadronic final state,” arXiv:1906.11903 [hep-ex]

    arXiv 1906

  2. [46]

    Model Independent Framework for Searches of Top Partners,

    M. Buchkremer, G. Cacciapaglia, A. Deandrea, and L. Panizzi, “Model Independent Framework for Searches of Top Partners,” Nucl. Phys. B876 (2013) 376–417, arXiv:1305.4172 [hep-ph]

    arXiv 2013

  3. [47]

    Vector-like quarks coupling discrimination at the LHC and future hadron colliders

    D. Barducci and L. Panizzi, “Vector-like quarks coupling discrimination at the LHC and future hadron colliders,” JHEP 12 (2017) 057, arXiv:1710.02325 [hep-ph]

    work page Pith review arXiv 2017

  4. [48]

    Search for Dark Photons Produced in 13 TeV pp Collisions,

    LHCb Collaboration, R. Aaij et al., “Search for Dark Photons Produced in 13 TeV pp Collisions,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 120 no. 6, (2018) 061801, arXiv:1710.02867 [hep-ex]

    arXiv 2018

  5. [1]

    excited tops

    ATLAS provides a combination of its individual searches [12] which established a lower bound on mT of 1300÷ 1420 GeV, depending on the T branching ra- tios, with the strongest bound applying for BR T→th = 100%. The CMS bounds are comparable, with mT > 1370/ 1300/ 1295 GeV for 100% BR into th / tZ / bW [13–15] 5. How are these bounds modified in the presenc...

    work page

  6. [2]

    Thus, the effective final state of T pair production with a T → ta→ tgg or tb¯b decay is t¯tjj, which is targeted by the search for excited top quark pair production [46]

    CMS 13 T eV excited top quark search When the pseudo-scalar a is light and highly boosted, it resembles a single QCD jet. Thus, the effective final state of T pair production with a T → ta→ tgg or tb¯b decay is t¯tjj, which is targeted by the search for excited top quark pair production [46]. This search, however, is not cut-flow based and a recast is not po...

    work page

  7. [3]

    A TLAS 8 T eV RPV gluino pair search A detailed cut flow table is not provided in Ref. [47]. We can thus only simulate and compare signal event 650700750800850900950100010500.01 0.1 CMS 95% CLs upper limit TT production crosssection m T [GeV] ⇥ BR 2 (T ! tj )[pb] FIG. 4. Black line is the observed 95%CLs upper limit for the T pair production cross-section ...

    work page 1900

  8. [4]

    PCKTkO33XpVI5/sQOEvMAqe+z68=

    A TLAS 13 T eV RPV gluino pair search Ref. [48] provides a detailed cut flow. Table II shows the event numbers after each cut as reported in Ref. [48] (in brackets) as well as event numbers we obtain in our recast, showing good agreement. For the signal consid- ered in this article, however, the hard cut on summed jet mass MΣ J rejects most signal events. ...

    work page

Show all 60 references
  1. [5]

    A TLAS 13 T eV up-type vector-like quark search A detailed cut flow table is not provided in Ref. [6]. We can thus only simulate and compare signal event num- bers after applying the full set of cuts. We focus on the 1-lepton signal regions, which are most sensitive and for whi...

  2. [6]

    SU(2) x U(1) Breaking by Vacuum Misalignment,

    D. B. Kaplan and H. Georgi, “SU(2) x U(1) Breaking by Vacuum Misalignment,” Phys. Lett. 136B (1984) 183–186

    1984

  3. [7]

    Flavor at SSC energies: A New mechanism for dynamically generated fermion masses,

    D. B. Kaplan, “Flavor at SSC energies: A New mechanism for dynamically generated fermion masses,” Nucl. Phys. B365 (1991) 259–278

    1991

  4. [8]

    Light custodians in natural composite Higgs models,

    R. Contino, L. Da Rold, and A. Pomarol, “Light custodians in natural composite Higgs models,” Phys. Rev. D75 (2007) 055014, arXiv:hep-ph/0612048 [hep-ph]

    2007 arXiv

  5. [9]

    The Minimal composite Higgs model,

    K. Agashe, R. Contino, and A. Pomarol, “The Minimal composite Higgs model,” Nucl. Phys. B719 (2005) 165–187, arXiv:hep-ph/0412089 [hep-ph]

    2005 arXiv

  6. [10]

    A First Top Partner Hunter’s Guide,

    A. De Simone, O. Matsedonskyi, R. Rattazzi, and A. Wulzer, “A First Top Partner Hunter’s Guide,” JHEP 04 (2013) 004, arXiv:1211.5663 [hep-ph]

    2013 arXiv

  7. [11]

    Search for pair production of up-type vector-like quarks and for four-top-quark events in final states with multiple b-jets with the ATLAS detector,

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for pair production of up-type vector-like quarks and for four-top-quark events in final states with multiple b-jets with the ATLAS detector,” JHEP 07 (2018) 089, arXiv:1803.09678 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  8. [12]

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for pair- and single-production of vector-like quarks in final states with at least one Z boson decaying into a pair of electrons or muons in pp collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at √s = 13 TeV,” Phys. Rev. D98 no. 1...

    2018 arXiv

  9. [13]

    Search for pair production of vector-like top quarks in events with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum in√s = 13 TeVpp collisions with the ATLAS detector,

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for pair production of vector-like top quarks in events with one lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum in√s = 13 TeVpp collisions with the ATLAS detector,” JHEP 08 (2017) 052, arXiv:1705.10751 [hep-ex]

    2017 arXiv

  10. [14]

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for pair production of heavy vector-like quarks decaying to high-pT W bosons and b quarks in the lepton-plus-jets final state in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector,” JHEP 10 (2017) 141, arXiv:1707.03347 [hep-ex]

    2017 arXiv

  11. [15]

    Search for pair production of heavy vector-like quarks decaying into hadronic final states in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector,

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for pair production of heavy vector-like quarks decaying into hadronic final states in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector,” Phys. Rev. D98 no. 9, (2018) 092005, arXiv:1808.01771 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  12. [16]

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for pair production of heavy vector-like quarks decaying into high-pT W bosons and top quarks in the lepton-plus-jets final state in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector,” JHEP 08 (2018) 048, arXiv:1806.01762 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  13. [17]

    Combination of the searches for pair-produced vector-like partners of the third-generation quarks at√s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector,

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Combination of the searches for pair-produced vector-like partners of the third-generation quarks at√s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 121 no. 21, (2018) 211801, arXiv:1808.02343 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  14. [18]

    Search for vector-like T and B quark pairs in final states with leptons at √s = 13 TeV,

    CMS Collaboration, A. M. Sirunyan et al., “Search for vector-like T and B quark pairs in final states with leptons at √s = 13 TeV,” JHEP 08 (2018) 177, arXiv:1805.04758 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  15. [19]

    Search for pair production of vector-like quarks in the bW bW channel from proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV,

    CMS Collaboration, A. M. Sirunyan et al., “Search for pair production of vector-like quarks in the bW bW channel from proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV,” Phys. Lett. B779 (2018) 82–106, arXiv:1710.01539 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  16. [21]

    Beyond the Minimal Top Partner Decay,

    J. Serra, “Beyond the Minimal Top Partner Decay,” JHEP 09 (2015) 176, arXiv:1506.05110 [hep-ph]

    2015 arXiv

  17. [22]

    Common exotic decays of top partners,

    N. Bizot, G. Cacciapaglia, and T. Flacke, “Common exotic decays of top partners,” JHEP 06 (2018) 065, arXiv:1803.00021 [hep-ph]

    2018 arXiv

  18. [23]

    Six Top Messages of New Physics at the LHC,

    H. Han, L. Huang, T. Ma, J. Shu, T. M. P. Tait, and Y. Wu, “Six Top Messages of New Physics at the LHC,” arXiv:1812.11286 [hep-ph]

    arXiv

  19. [24]

    Signatures of vector-like top partners decaying into new neutral scalar or pseudoscalar bosons,

    R. Benbrik et al., “Signatures of vector-like top partners decaying into new neutral scalar or pseudoscalar bosons,” arXiv:1907.05929 [hep-ph]

    1907 arXiv

  20. [25]

    Odd Top Partners at the LHC,

    A. Anandakrishnan, J. H. Collins, M. Farina, E. Kuflik, and M. Perelstein, “Odd Top Partners at the LHC,” Phys. Rev. D93 no. 7, (2016) 075009, arXiv:1506.05130 [hep-ph]

    2016 arXiv

  21. [26]

    Scalar versus fermionic top partner interpretations of t¯t +Emiss T searches at the LHC,

    S. Kraml, U. Laa, L. Panizzi, and H. Prager, “Scalar versus fermionic top partner interpretations of t¯t +Emiss T searches at the LHC,” JHEP 11 (2016) 107, arXiv:1607.02050 [hep-ph]

    2016 arXiv

  22. [27]

    Loop Induced Single Top Partner Production and Decay at the LHC,

    J. H. Kim and I. M. Lewis, “Loop Induced Single Top Partner Production and Decay at the LHC,” JHEP 05 (2018) 095, arXiv:1803.06351 [hep-ph]

    2018 arXiv

  23. [28]

    Shedding Light on Top Partner at the LHC,

    H. Alhazmi, J. H. Kim, K. Kong, and I. M. Lewis, “Shedding Light on Top Partner at the LHC,” JHEP 01 (2019) 139, arXiv:1808.03649 [hep-ph]

    2019 arXiv

  24. [29]

    Novel signatures for vector-like quarks,

    J. A. Aguilar-Saavedra, D. E. L´ opez-Fogliani, and C. Mu˜ noz, “Novel signatures for vector-like quarks,” JHEP 06 (2017) 095, arXiv:1705.02526 [hep-ph]

    2017 arXiv

  25. [30]

    Direct bounds on heavy toplike quarks with standard and exotic decays,

    M. Chala, “Direct bounds on heavy toplike quarks with standard and exotic decays,” Phys. Rev. D96 no. 1, (2017) 015028, arXiv:1705.03013 [hep-ph]

    2017 arXiv

  26. [31]

    Hunting for Vectorlike Quarks,

    R. Derm´ ıˇ sek, E. Lunghi, and S. Shin, “Hunting for Vectorlike Quarks,” JHEP 04 (2019) 019, arXiv:1901.03709 [hep-ph]

    2019 arXiv

  27. [32]

    Exotic decays of top partners with charge 5/3: bounds and opportunities,

    K.-P. Xie, G. Cacciapaglia, and T. Flacke, “Exotic decays of top partners with charge 5/3: bounds and opportunities,” arXiv:1907.05894 [hep-ph]

    1907 arXiv

  28. [33]

    Higgs as a holographic pseudoGoldstone boson,

    R. Contino, Y. Nomura, and A. Pomarol, “Higgs as a holographic pseudoGoldstone boson,” Nucl. Phys. B671 (2003) 148–174, arXiv:hep-ph/0306259 [hep-ph]

    2003 arXiv

  29. [34]

    Holography for fermions,

    R. Contino and A. Pomarol, “Holography for fermions,” JHEP 11 (2004) 058, arXiv:hep-th/0406257 [hep-th]

    2004 arXiv

  30. [35]

    Dimensions of Supersymmetric Operators from AdS/CFT,

    G. Cacciapaglia, G. Marandella, and J. Terning, “Dimensions of Supersymmetric Operators from AdS/CFT,” JHEP 06 (2009) 027, arXiv:0802.2946 [hep-th]

    2009 arXiv

  31. [36]

    Physics beyond the standard model (theory): Introducing the little Higgs,

    M. Schmaltz, “Physics beyond the standard model (theory): Introducing the little Higgs,” Nucl. Phys. Proc. Suppl. 117 (2003) 40–49, arXiv:hep-ph/0210415 [hep-ph]. [,40(2002)]

    2003 arXiv

  32. [37]

    Little Higgses from an antisymmetric condensate,

    I. Low, W. Skiba, and D. Tucker-Smith, “Little Higgses from an antisymmetric condensate,” Phys. Rev. D66 (2002) 072001, arXiv:hep-ph/0207243 [hep-ph]

    2002 arXiv

  33. [38]

    Fermionic UV completions of Composite Higgs models,

    G. Ferretti and D. Karateev, “Fermionic UV completions of Composite Higgs models,” JHEP 03 10 (2014) 077, arXiv:1312.5330 [hep-ph]

    2014 arXiv

  34. [39]

    UV descriptions of composite Higgs models without elementary scalars,

    J. Barnard, T. Gherghetta, and T. S. Ray, “UV descriptions of composite Higgs models without elementary scalars,” JHEP 02 (2014) 002, arXiv:1311.6562 [hep-ph]

    2014 arXiv

  35. [40]

    Gauge theories of Partial Compositeness: Scenarios for Run-II of the LHC,

    G. Ferretti, “Gauge theories of Partial Compositeness: Scenarios for Run-II of the LHC,” JHEP 06 (2016) 107, arXiv:1604.06467 [hep-ph]

    2016 arXiv

  36. [41]

    Di-boson signatures as Standard Candles for Partial Compositeness,

    A. Belyaev, G. Cacciapaglia, H. Cai, G. Ferretti, T. Flacke, A. Parolini, and H. Serodio, “Di-boson signatures as Standard Candles for Partial Compositeness,” JHEP 01 (2017) 094, arXiv:1610.06591 [hep-ph]

    2017 arXiv

  37. [42]

    One-loop Chiral Perturbation Theory with two fermion representations,

    T. DeGrand, M. Golterman, E. T. Neil, and Y. Shamir, “One-loop Chiral Perturbation Theory with two fermion representations,” Phys. Rev. D94 no. 2, (2016) 025020, arXiv:1605.07738 [hep-ph]

    2016 arXiv

  38. [43]

    Light scalars in composite Higgs models,

    G. Cacciapaglia, G. Ferretti, T. Flacke, and H. Serˆ odio, “Light scalars in composite Higgs models,” Front. Phys. 7 (2019) 22, arXiv:1902.06890 [hep-ph]

    2019 arXiv

  39. [44]

    Revealing timid pseudo-scalars with taus at the LHC,

    G. Cacciapaglia, G. Ferretti, T. Flacke, and H. Serodio, “Revealing timid pseudo-scalars with taus at the LHC,” Eur. Phys. J. C78 no. 9, (2018) 724, arXiv:1710.11142 [hep-ph]

    2018 arXiv

  40. [45]

    Collider Probes of Axion-Like Particles,

    M. Bauer, M. Neubert, and A. Thamm, “Collider Probes of Axion-Like Particles,” JHEP 12 (2017) 044, arXiv:1708.00443 [hep-ph]

    2017 arXiv

  41. [49]

    Search for resonances in the mass spectrum of muon pairs produced in association with b quark jets in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 and 13 TeV,

    CMS Collaboration, A. M. Sirunyan et al., “Search for resonances in the mass spectrum of muon pairs produced in association with b quark jets in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 and 13 TeV,” JHEP 11 (2018) 161, arXiv:1808.01890 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  42. [50]

    Production of extra quarks at the Large Hadron Collider beyond the Narrow Width Approximation,

    S. Moretti, D. O’Brien, L. Panizzi, and H. Prager, “Production of extra quarks at the Large Hadron Collider beyond the Narrow Width Approximation,” Phys. Rev. D96 no. 7, (2017) 075035, arXiv:1603.09237 [hep-ph]

    2017 arXiv

  43. [51]

    Search for pair production of excited top quarks in the lepton + jets final state,

    CMS Collaboration, A. M. Sirunyan et al., “Search for pair production of excited top quarks in the lepton + jets final state,” Phys. Lett. B778 (2018) 349–370, arXiv:1711.10949 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  44. [52]

    Search for massive supersymmetric particles decaying to many jets using the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV,

    A TLASCollaboration, G. Aad et al., “Search for massive supersymmetric particles decaying to many jets using the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV,” Phys. Rev. D91 no. 11, (2015) 112016, arXiv:1502.05686 [hep-ex] . [Erratum: Phys. Rev.D93,no.3,039901(2016)]

    2015 arXiv

  45. [53]

    Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetric particles in multi-jet final states produced in p-p collisions at √s = 13 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC,

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetric particles in multi-jet final states produced in p-p collisions at √s = 13 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC,” Phys. Lett. B785 (2018) 136–158, arXiv:1804.03568 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  46. [54]

    Search for R-parity violating supersymmetry in pp collisions at√s = 13 TeV using b jets in a final state with a single lepton, many jets, and high sum of large-radius jet masses,

    CMS Collaboration, A. M. Sirunyan et al., “Search for R-parity violating supersymmetry in pp collisions at√s = 13 TeV using b jets in a final state with a single lepton, many jets, and high sum of large-radius jet masses,” Phys. Lett. B783 (2018) 114–139, arXiv:1712.08920 [hep-ex]

    2018 arXiv

  47. [55]

    Identification of boosted, hadronically-decaying W and Z bosons in √s = 13 TeV Monte Carlo Simulations for ATLAS,

    A TLASCollaboration, M. Aaboud et al., “Identification of boosted, hadronically-decaying W and Z bosons in √s = 13 TeV Monte Carlo Simulations for ATLAS,” Tech. Rep. ATL-PHYS-PUB-2015-033, CERN, Geneva, Aug, 2015. https://cds.cern.ch/record/2041461

    2015

  48. [56]

    The automated computation of tree-level and next-to-leading order differential cross sections, and their matching to parton shower simulations,

    J. Alwall, R. Frederix, S. Frixione, V. Hirschi, F. Maltoni, O. Mattelaer, H. S. Shao, T. Stelzer, P. Torrielli, and M. Zaro, “The automated computation of tree-level and next-to-leading order differential cross sections, and their matching to parton shower simulations,” JHEP 0...

    2014 arXiv

  49. [57]

    An Introduction to PYTHIA 8.2,

    T. Sj¨ ostrand, S. Ask, J. R. Christiansen, R. Corke, N. Desai, P. Ilten, S. Mrenna, S. Prestel, C. O. Rasmussen, and P. Z. Skands, “An Introduction to PYTHIA 8.2,” Comput. Phys. Commun. 191 (2015) 159–177, arXiv:1410.3012 [hep-ph]

    2015 arXiv

  50. [58]

    DELPHES 3, A modular framework for fast simulation of a generic collider experiment,

    DELPHES 3 Collaboration, J. de Favereau, C. Delaere, P. Demin, A. Giammanco, V. Lemaˆ ıtre, A. Mertens, and M. Selvaggi, “DELPHES 3, A modular framework for fast simulation of a generic collider experiment,” JHEP 02 (2014) 057, arXiv:1307.6346 [hep-ex]

    2014 arXiv

  51. [59]

    FastJet User Manual,

    M. Cacciari, G. P. Salam, and G. Soyez, “FastJet User Manual,” Eur. Phys. J. C72 (2012) 1896, arXiv:1111.6097 [hep-ph]

    2012 arXiv

  52. [60]

    Top++: A Program for the Calculation of the Top-Pair Cross-Section at Hadron Colliders,

    M. Czakon and A. Mitov, “Top++: A Program for the Calculation of the Top-Pair Cross-Section at Hadron Colliders,” Comput. Phys. Commun. 185 (2014) 2930, arXiv:1112.5675 [hep-ph]

    2014 arXiv

Pith tools

Reviewed August 14, 2026 · model on record in the stance chip above.