LHC Analysis of the Strongly Interacting $WW$ System: Gold-Plated Modes

TL;DR

The paper investigates the detectability of strongly interacting electroweak symmetry breaking through gold-plated leptonic channels from $W_LW_L$ scattering at the LHC with $\sqrt{s}=14$ TeV. It develops a robust analysis framework that combines back-to-back lepton kinematics, forward-jet tagging, and central-jet vetoes to suppress Standard Model backgrounds, applying it across seven models ranging from a heavy SM-like Higgs to various resonant and non-resonant scenarios. Drell-Yan production via $W$-$V$ mixing is explored as a complementary probe, showing strong potential for a ~1 TeV vector resonance in the $WZ$ channel, while fusion channels provide broader sensitivity across models. With an annual luminosity of $100~\text{fb}^{-1}$, the study finds that at least one gold-plated channel should exhibit a significant excess after several years, informing experimental strategies for uncovering the physics of strongly interacting electroweak symmetry breaking.

Abstract

We study the gold-plated purely leptonic signal and background rates at the LHC for the $ZZ,$ $W^{+}W^-,$ $W^\pm Z$ and $W^\pm W^\pm$ final states associated with strongly interacting electroweak symmetry breaking. We work at an energy of $\sqrt s = 14$ TeV, and develop a combination of back-to-back leptonic, central-jet-vetoing and forwaring cuts that suppresses the Standard-Model backgrounds. We find that the LHC with an annual luminosity of 100 fb$^{-1}$ will achieve a reasonably good sensitivity to the physics of strongly interacting electroweak symmetry breaking.