Search for high mass resonance production decaying into an electron pair in the CMS experiment

This note describes the potential of the CMS experiment for the discovery of high mass resonances decaying into an electron pair, with an integrated luminosity of 100 pb$^{-1}$. Event selection and high energy electron reconstruction and identification criteria are explained. Using pseudo-experiments, the expected dielectron invariant mass spectrum, in the presence of a new, heavy resonance as well as Drell-Yan production and other backgrounds, is reconstructed. The data are used for checking and determining the selection efficiencies and the backgrounds using the $Z$ peak region and the ``control'' mass region which is dominated by high mass Drell-Yan production. The backgrounds in the new physics signal region are discussed, and the significance of potential signals are extracted. Finally, the CMS potential is quantified, both for a discovery and by giving upper limits on potential numbers of events from new physics in the absence of an observable signal.