Exotic long-lived particles (LLPs) occur in many well-motivated extensions to the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, and could explain the nature of Dark Matter (DM). However, LLPs could have been missed by the traditional LHC search programme to date due to their non-standard energy deposition patterns, which would often be thrown away as noise by standard reconstruction techniques. LLP signatures could be hiding in the “Blind Spot” of LHC searches!
This talk will include a general motivation for LLP searches, and highlight the sort of signatures which are expected at ATLAS, as well as the unusual background which must be mastered.
Recent examples of LLP results from the ATLAS collaboration will be used to highlight some of the novel techniques which are employed in these searches. Finally, prospects for the development of the LLP programme at CERN in coming years will be presented.
