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bananan
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How exactly will LHC detect superpartners? Presumably they will have higher mass, are there other ways to detect them?
Severian said:It really depends on the model. In models like the (Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model) MSSM, there is a quantity called R-parity. Each Standard Model particle has R-parity +1 and each partner has R-parity -1. R-parity is conserved in interactions which means that the lightest partner (R-parity -1 state) will be stable (since it can only has R-parity +1 states that are lighter).
This Lightest Supersymmetric Partner (LSP) then leaves the detector without being seen. This is a real smoking gun because then the momentum in the plane transverse to the beam will not be conserved by the visible particles (the momentum parallel to the beam isn't either, but this is useless because one doesn't know the initail particle momenta, only their direction).
Severian said:It really depends on the model. In models like the (Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model) MSSM, there is a quantity called R-parity. Each Standard Model particle has R-parity +1 and each partner has R-parity -1. R-parity is conserved in interactions which means that the lightest partner (R-parity -1 state) will be stable (since it can only has R-parity +1 states that are lighter).
This Lightest Supersymmetric Partner (LSP) then leaves the detector without being seen. This is a real smoking gun because then the momentum in the plane transverse to the beam will not be conserved by the visible particles (the momentum parallel to the beam isn't either, but this is useless because one doesn't know the initail particle momenta, only their direction).
The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) will use high-energy particle collisions to search for evidence of superpartners. These collisions will create new particles, which will then decay into other particles, including the superpartners. By analyzing the properties and behavior of these decay products, scientists can infer the presence of superpartners.
The LHC has four main detectors - ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb - which are responsible for detecting and measuring the properties of particles produced in collisions. These detectors use advanced technologies such as electromagnetic calorimeters, muon detectors, and tracking systems to accurately record the particles and their properties, including the superpartners.
Superpartners are predicted to have similar properties to their corresponding Standard Model particles, but with different masses. The LHC will use the laws of conservation of energy and momentum to identify these differences and distinguish superpartners from other particles.
No, the LHC cannot directly observe superpartners. Instead, it can only infer their presence through the detection of their decay products. Superpartners are expected to be unstable and decay into other particles almost immediately after their creation, making it difficult to observe them directly.
If the LHC does not find any evidence of superpartners, it does not necessarily mean that they do not exist. It may simply mean that they have a higher mass or different properties than what is currently expected. The search for superpartners will continue with future experiments and advancements in technology.