An Advantage of Setting Cross Section Limits on the Total Production Mechanism When Multiple Processes Produce the Same Final State

Abstract

        When searching for new particles two separate production mechanisms from the same theory may  produce the same final state.  For example, in gauge  mediated supersymmetry breaking with  χ⁰₁→ γG at least two production mechanisms, χ⁰₁χ^±₁ and χ⁰₂χ^±₁, can cascade to produce events with two  photons and missing transverse energy.  If there is no discovery one wants to set the best possible limits.  While it seems  obvious that the goal is to find the lowest possible cross section limit, one should be careful and focus on excluding the largest amount of parameter space for a theory. We show that the combined cross section limit from both (or all) production mechanisms that produce the same final state is the most sensitive way to attempt to exclude a theory.