Bounds on R-hadron production from calorimetry experiments

Abstract

Supersymmetry suggests that new families of hadrons (R-hadrons) may exist, with masses possibly in the GeV/c2 range. If so, relatively model-independent bounds on their pair-production in proton collisions can be obtained by careful calorimetry experiments. Preliminary results indicate an upper limit ⪅ 100 μb for the pN → RR̄ + X cross section at √s = 27.5 GeV.