On the validity of the effective field theory for dark matter searches at the LHC part III: analysis for the<i>t</i>-channel

Abstract

We extend our recent analysis of the limitations of the effective field\ntheory approach to studying dark matter at the LHC, by investigating the case\nin which Dirac dark matter couples to standard model quarks via $t$-channel\nexchange of a heavy scalar mediator. We provide analytical results for the\nvalidity of the effective field theory description, for both $\\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV\nand 14 TeV. We make use of a MonteCarlo event generator to assess the validity\nof our analytical conclusions. We also point out the general trend that in the\nregions where the effective field theory is valid, the dark matter relic\nabundance is typically large.\n