Search for Pair Production of First Generation Scalar Leptoquarks at the CMS Experiment

We investigate the discovery potential of the CMS experiment for pair production of first generation scalar leptoquarks that decay to an electron and quark, assuming an integrated luminosity of 100 pb$^{-1}$ and $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=10$ TeV. We discuss reconstruction and identification of high-energy electrons and jets, and optimization of the event selection. Data-driven techniques are used to determine the main standard model backgrounds. The CMS discovery and exclusion potentials for different leptoquark mass hypotheses are presented.