LHC constraints on color octet scalars

Abstract

We extract constraints on the parameter space of the Manohar and Wise model by comparing the cross sections for dijet, top-pair, dijet-pair,t (t) over bart (t) over bar and b (b) over barb (b) over bar productions at the LHC with the strongest available experimental limits from ATLAS or CMS at 8 or 13 TeV. Overall we find mass limits around 1 TeV in the most sensitive regions of parameter space, and lower elsewhere. This is at odds with generic limits for color octet scalars often quoted in the literature where much larger production cross sections are assumed. The constraints that can be placed on coupling constants are typically weaker than those from existing theoretical considerations, with the exception of the parameter eta(D).