A new tagger for hadronically decaying heavy particles at the LHC

A new algorithm for the identification of boosted, hadronically decaying, heavy particles at the LHC is presented. The algorithm is based on the known procedure of jet clustering with variable distance parameter $R$ and adapts the jet size to its transverse momentum $p_T$. Subjets are found using a mass jump condition. The resulting algorithm - called Heavy Object Tagger with Variable $R$ (HOTVR) - features little algorithmic complexity and combines jet clustering, subjet finding and rejection of soft clusters in one sequence. While the HOTVR algorithm can be used for the identification of any heavy object decaying hadronically, e.g. W, Z, H, t, or possible new heavy resonances, this paper targets specifically the tagging of boosted top quarks. The studies presented here demonstrate a stable performance of the HOTVR algorithm in a wide range of top quark $p_T$, from low $p_T$, where the decay products can be resolved, to the region of boosted decays at high $p_T$.