This book describes an innovative reconstruction algorithm for tau decays and details how it was instrumental in providing a measurement of Z decay to tau lepton pairs. It guides the reader through how complicated physics analyses are performed at the LHC.

The work presented in this thesis spans a wide range of experimental particle physics subjects, starting from level-1 trigger electronics to the final results of the search for Higgs boson decay and to tau lepton pairs. The thesis describes an innovative reconstruction algorithm for tau decays and details how it was instrumental in providing a measurement of Z decay to tau lepton pairs. The reliability of the analysis is fully established by this measurement before the Higgs boson decay to tau lepton pairs is considered. The work described here continues to serve as a model for analysing CMS Higgs to tau leptons measurements.

Nominated by CERN as an outstanding PhD thesis Guides the reader step by step through how complicated physics analyses are performed at the LHC Describes novel experimental techniques implemented at the LHC Recipient of the CMS prize for the best thesis of 2012 Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Michail Bachtis completed his undergraduate studies at the School of Applied Mathematics and Physics of the National Technical University of Athens, participating in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. He was then admitted for a PhD at the University of Wisconsin Madison working on CMS. Upon graduation he was accepted as a COFUND fellow at CERN, continuing to work on the CMS experiment.

Inhalt
The Standard Model of Particle Physics.- Supersymmetry and the MSSM.- Experimental Setup.- Event Simulation.- Event Reconstruction.- Hadronic Tau Identification and Trigger.- Selection of Tau Pairs.- Measurement of Z , Production.- Search for Higgs Bosons.- Synopsis.- Calorimeter Trigger Upgrade for Higher Luminosities.