Qjets: A Non-deterministic Approach to Tree-based Jet Substructure

Jet substructure is typically studied using clustering algorithms, such as kT, which arrange the jets' constituents into trees. Instead of considering a single tree per jet, Tuhin Roy proposes that multiple trees should be considered, weighted by an appropriate metric. Then each jet in each event produces a distribution for an observable, rather than a single value. Advantages of this approach include: 1) observables have significantly increased statistical stability; and, 2) new observables, such as the variance of the distribution, provide new handles for signal and background discrimination. For example, we find that employing a set of trees substantially reduces the observed fluctuations in the pruned mass distribution, enhancing the likelihood of new particle discovery for a given integrated luminosity. Furthermore, we introduce a new quantity 'volatility', a cut on which reduces the luminosity needed for a given significance requirement by a factor of two.