Séminaires du DPhP: Rethinking data-taking at the LHC: CMS scouting, from specialised streams to new physics

par Elisa Fontanesi (CERN)

lundi 12 oct. 2026, 11:00 → 12:30 Europe/Paris

CEA Paris-Saclay

Specialised data-taking techniques have been redefining how LHC experiments explore collision data, extending their physics reach beyond the constraints of conventional trigger and storage strategies. At CMS, data scouting enables high event rates to be recorded by retaining a compact event representation reconstructed in the high-level trigger. This approach provides access to signatures that would otherwise be difficult to study, particularly at low masses, where overwhelming backgrounds and stringent trigger thresholds can obscure potential signals of new physics.

Introduced in Run 1 and further developed throughout Run 2, CMS scouting has expanded substantially in Run 3, increasing both the information available for analysis and the range of accessible physics signatures. Searches for low-mass resonances and long-lived particles illustrate its potential, while developments in reconstruction and analysis are creating opportunities for a broader physics programme and new approaches, including anomaly detection. These specialised streams offer not only new ways to search for elusive phenomena, but also opportunities to rethink how physics analyses are performed.

This seminar will trace the development of CMS scouting, highlight representative physics results, and discuss the opportunities and challenges of analysing scouting data, with an outlook on its potential to further broaden the experimental capabilities of CMS in the next phase of the LHC.

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