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arXiv · 2503.11760

From obstacle to opportunity: uncovering the silver lining of pileup

Biplob Bhattacherjee·Abhinav Kumar·Swagata Mukherjee·Rhitaja Sengupta·Anand Sharma
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Abstract

The lack of evidence for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) particles might be due to their light mass and very weak interactions, as exemplified by BSM long-lived particles (LLPs). Such particles can be produced from $B$ or $D$ hadron decays. Typically, the high values of pileup (PU) in hadron colliders are expected to pose a major challenge in light new physics searches. We propose a fresh perspective that counters this conventional wisdom: instead of viewing PU solely as an impediment, we highlight its potential benefits in searches for light LLPs from $B$ or $D$ hadron decays at HL-LHC and FCC-hh. In particular, certain forward detectors in LHC experiments, such as the Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDC), which are currently not utilized for LLP searches, can be repurposed with strategic modifications to play a crucial role in this endeavor. Leveraging a combination of forward and central detectors, along with smart strategies for triggering and offline analysis, we demonstrate the potential for exploring light LLPs in high PU scenarios.

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Biplob Bhattacherjee, Abhinav Kumar, Swagata Mukherjee, Rhitaja Sengupta, Anand Sharma. 2026-01-04. From obstacle to opportunity: uncovering the silver lining of pileup. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2025.140121

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