Hunting the hidden: exploring different dark matter scenarios

Abstract

This thesis explores searches for Dark Matter at colliders through a phenomenological and experimental approach. Following an introduction to the Standard Model and Beyond the Standard Model theories relevant to the work in this thesis, the Large Hadron Collider and the ATLAS experiment are introduced. Important components of event generation are discussed, along with specifics of the event generators and analysis tools used. The first work completed and shown is work done as a Summer Student at CERN in 2024, working on the ATLAS Trigger Menu. This is followed by the work done as part of an ATLAS search for a new hypothetical particle, using simulated events based on Run 2 data and 139 fb−1 of data, as well as a discussion of the model it is based on. The last two parts discuss phenomenological studies performed over the past months, and are relevant in the context of Dark Matter searches in colliders, specifically at the Large Hadron Collider.