A search is presented for emerging jets using 140 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV, collected by the ATLAS experiment between 2015 and 2018. The search looks for the existence of a dark sector with symmetries similar to those in quantum chromodynamics. This dark sector is populated with dark quarks, which undergo showering similar to quarks in the Standard Model, leading to a high multiplicity of long-lived dark hadrons within a dark jet. These dark hadrons subsequently decay to Standard Model particles via a new heavy scalar mediating particle $ϕ$. This results in jets which contain multiple displaced vertices, known as emerging jets. This analysis targets four-jet topologies, with two emerging jets and two Standard Model jets, resulting from the decay of pair-produced scalar mediators. No significant excess above the Standard Model background is observed. For dark pion proper decay lengths of 20 mm, mediator masses are excluded between 1 TeV and 2 TeV assuming a dark pion mass of 20 GeV.
Comparison of the data with N<sub>DV</sub> > 1 and the estimated background in the SR using the modified ABCD method. The division between the SR and CR is shown by the vertical dashed line. In the final fit, the bins with R > 0.4 are combined into a single bin. Three selected signal samples are included for comparison.
95% CL upper limits as a function of (left) cτ<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> and (right) M<sub>φ</sub>. The upper plots show the expected and observed limits on σ(pp →φ<sup>†</sup>φ) for m<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> = 20 GeV: (a) using M<sub>φ</sub> = 1.6 TeV and (b) using cτ<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> = 20 mm. The lower plots show a comparison of the observed limits for all three dark pion masses: (c) using M<sub>φ</sub> = 1.4 TeV, and (d) using cτ<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> = 1 mm. The mediator mass-dependent theoretical cross-section is given with the band corresponding to the uncertainty from NNLL-Fast.
95% CL upper limits as a function of (left) cτ<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> and (right) M<sub>φ</sub>. The upper plots show the expected and observed limits on σ(pp →φ<sup>†</sup>φ) for m<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> = 20 GeV: (a) using M<sub>φ</sub> = 1.6 TeV and (b) using cτ<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> = 20 mm. The lower plots show a comparison of the observed limits for all three dark pion masses: (c) using M<sub>φ</sub> = 1.4 TeV, and (d) using cτ<sub>π<sub>d</sub></sub> = 1 mm. The mediator mass-dependent theoretical cross-section is given with the band corresponding to the uncertainty from NNLL-Fast.
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