Understanding Tau Identification in ATLAS: A Brief Overview

In summary: The barycenter is the point of intersection of the four-vectors of the constituent topological clusters. The τ_had detector axis is the vector that points in the direction of the barycenter.
  • #1
ChrisVer
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I have some questions concerning this paper (mainly about the tau identification):
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.5466v1.pdf

especially the figures 3-6...

I don't understand what is the inverse background efficiency, neither the likelihood score. As a result, I am unable to understand what info the figures give. Any help?
 
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  • #2
Inverse background efficiency is also called the rejection rate. A value of 100 means you identify 1 out of 100 background events as signal.
The higher the signal efficiency you want to be, the more events you have to keep, which means you will identify more background events as signal, which gives a lower inverse background efficiency.
The different curves are different tau decay modes, pT regions, background samples and so on.

A boosted decision tree will give you a numerical value for each event, where larger values mean "more signal-like". Figure 3 shows the distribution of the BDT outputs for signal and background events. You can then choose different cut values, each cut value will give you one point in the diagrams 4-6.
 
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  • #3
Thanks,
I still have some further questions in case you can help me.
In the paper I mentioned in the OP (in Sec 2), as well as here
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1409.0343v1.pdf In Sec 2, is mentioned how to reconstruct the hadronic tau.
It says:

A barycenter is formed consisting of the sum of the four-vectors of the constituent topological clusters, assuming zero mass for each of the constituents. Then, the τ_had detector axis is calculated by using clusters within ∆R =...< 0.2 around the barycenter. The four-vectors of those clusters are recalculated using the tau vertex coordinate system and the vectors are summed up.

Does that mean that the barycenter is like a disk within the ∆R<0.2 ?
And by that you are able to identify the vertex coordinate system by running back the jet's trajectory and see where the trajectories intersect?
So then you know they should come from taus and you are able to sum the jet's four vectors and calculate the tau's energy?
 
  • #4
Why are you using a few page proceedings as your source when it references a more complete note?
 

1. What is "Tau identification" in ATLAS?

Tau identification in ATLAS is a process that involves detecting and characterizing particles called taus in the data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These taus are short-lived particles that are produced in high-energy collisions, and their identification is crucial for studying the fundamental building blocks of matter and understanding the laws of physics.

2. Why is it important to identify taus in ATLAS?

Taus are unique particles that can decay in multiple ways, making them a valuable tool for studying the properties of other particles. By accurately identifying taus, scientists can study their decays and use this information to learn more about the processes that occur at the LHC, such as the production of the Higgs boson.

3. How does ATLAS identify taus?

ATLAS uses a variety of techniques to identify taus, including analyzing the energy and momentum of particles produced in collisions and using sophisticated algorithms to reconstruct the tau's decay products. These techniques are constantly being refined and improved to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of tau identification.

4. What challenges are faced in tau identification at ATLAS?

One of the main challenges in tau identification at ATLAS is dealing with the high rate of background events, which can interfere with the detection of taus. Another challenge is accurately distinguishing taus from other particles that may have similar properties, such as electrons or quarks.

5. How does tau identification contribute to our understanding of the universe?

Tau identification is an essential part of the scientific research conducted at the LHC. By studying the properties of taus and their interactions with other particles, scientists can gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental laws of nature and potentially discover new particles or phenomena that could lead to groundbreaking discoveries in physics.

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