Finding the lost jet energy: a Monte Carlo study of jet quenching observables in proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=5.36$$ TeV

Abstract A detailed Monte Carlo study of jet observables in proton–proton collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=5.36~\textrm{TeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msqrt> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi> </mml:msqrt> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>5.36</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>TeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> was performed. pythia 8.3 is used as a vacuum baseline, and jewel 2.4.0 as a generator including parton–medium interactions with explicit recoil. Two sets of data are generated, one with a leading jet head of $$200~\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>200</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and the other with $$400~\textrm{GeV}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>400</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mtext>GeV</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> . Jets are reconstructed using anti- $$k_t$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>k</mml:mi> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> with $$R=0.4$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.4</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> . Background simulation was done by overlaying Minimum Bias events, then reduced using the area–median background estimator method from and average background $$p_{\textrm{T}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext> </mml:msub> </mml:math> estimation. Further background distribution is done through Gaussian smearing to emulate experimental conditions. With the existence of the QGP medium, a general outward shift in the dijet asymmetry ratio is observed, with a populated large- $$A_j$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>A</mml:mi> <mml:mi>j</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> region. Changes in other observables, such as inclusive jet spectra, jet multiplicity ( $$p_{\textrm{T}}&gt; 50$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>&gt;</mml:mo> <mml:mn>50</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> GeV), and missing transverse momentum ( $$p_{\textrm{T}}^{\textrm{miss}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>T</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>miss</mml:mtext> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> ) at both particle and jet level, are observed to have a relation with the existence of jet energy loss. An additional observable, the asymmetry ratio including subsubleading jets ( $$A_{jj}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>A</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>jj</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> ), is further developed and yields positive insights in determining the existence of jet quenching.