W Boson Polarization Studies for Vector Boson Scattering at LHC: from Classical Approaches to Quantum Computing

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has, in the recent years, delivered unprecedented high-energy proton-proton collisions that have been collected and studied by two multi-purpose experiments, ATLAS and CMS. In this thesis, we focus on one physics process in particular, the Vector Boson Scattering (VBS), which is one of the keys to probe the ElectroWeak sector of the Standard Model in the TeV regime and to shed light on the mechanism of ElectroWeak symmetry breaking. VBS measurement is extremely challenging, because of its low signal yields, complex final states and large backgrounds. Its understanding requires a coordinated effort of theorists and experimentalists, to explore all possible information about inclusive observables, kinematics and background isolation. The present work wants to contribute to Vector Boson Scattering studies by exploring the possibility to disentangle among W boson polarizations when analyzing a pure VBS sample. This work is organized as follows. In Chapter1, we overview the main concepts related to the Standard Model of particle physics. We introduce the VBS process from a theoretical perspective in Chapter2, underlying its role with respect to the known mechanism of ElectroWeak Symmetry Breaking. We emphasize the importance of regularizing the VBS amplitude by canceling divergences arising from longitudinally polarized vector bosons at high energy. In the same Chapter, we discuss strategies to explore how to identify the contribution of longitudinally polarized W bosons in the VBS process. We investigate the possibility to reconstruct the event kinematics and to thereby develop a technique that would efficiently discriminate between the longitudinal contribution and the rest of the participating processes in the VBS. In Chapter 3, we perform a Montecarlo generator comparison at different orders in perturbation theory, to explore the state-of-art of VBS Montecarlo programs and to provide suggestions and limits to the experimental community. In the last part of the same Chapter we provide an estimation of PDF uncertainty contribution to VBS observables. Chapter 4 introduces the phenomenological study of this work. We perform an extensive study on polarization fraction extraction and on reconstruction of the W boson reference frame. We first make use of traditional kinematic approaches, moving then to a Deep Learning strategy. Finally, in Chapter 5, we test a new technological paradigm, the Quantum Computer, to evaluate its potential in our case study and overall in the HEP sector. This work has been carried on in the framework of a PhD Executive project, in partnership between the University of Pavia and IBM Italia, and has therefore received supports from both the institutions. This work has been funded by the European Community via the COST Action VBSCan, created with the purpose of connecting all the main players involved in Vector Boson Scattering studies at hadron colliders, gathering a solid and multidisciplinary community and aiming at providing the worldwide phenomenological reference on this fundamental process.