Search for Fractionally Charged Particles in Proton-Proton Collisions at (Formula presented)


Hayrapetyan A., Tumasyan A., Adam W., Andrejkovic J., Bergauer T., Chatterjee S., ...More

Physical Review Letters, vol.134, no.13, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 134 Issue: 13
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1103/physrevlett.134.131802
  • Journal Name: Physical Review Letters
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Aerospace Database, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, INSPEC, zbMATH, DIALNET, Nature Index
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

A search is presented for fractionally charged particles with charges below (Formula presented), using their small energy loss in the tracking detector as a key variable to observe a signal. The analyzed dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of (Formula presented) of proton-proton collisions collected at (Formula presented) in 2016-2018 at the CERN LHC. This is the first search at the LHC for new particles with a charge between (Formula presented) and (Formula presented), including an extension of previous results at a charge of (Formula presented). Masses up to 640 GeV and charges as low as (Formula presented) are excluded at 95% confidence level. These are the most stringent limits to date for the considered Drell-Yan-like production mode.