Exploring higher dimensional black holes at the large hadron collider.

Abstract

In some extra dimension theories with a TeV fundamental Planck scale, black holes could be produced in future collider experiments. Although cross sections can be large, measuring the model parameters is difficult due to the many theoretical uncertainties. Here we discuss those uncertainties and then we study the experimental characteristics of black hole production and decay at a typical detector using the ATLAS detector as a guide. We present a new technique for measuring the temperature of black holes that applies to many models. We apply this technique to a test case with four extra dimensions and, using an estimate of the parton-level production cross section error of 20%, determine the Planck mass to 15% and the number of extra dimensions to ±0.75.