Commissioning of the CMS muon detector and development of generic search strategies for new physics

The detection and reconstruction of cosmic muon rays is important for the commissioning phase and alignment of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment (CMS), in particular during the early phases of operation with physics collisions. In this context the Magnet Test/Cosmic Challenge (MTCC) with its comprehensive cosmic data taking periods including the presence of the magnetic field has been like a dress rehearsal of detector hardware and software for the upcoming start-up of the CMS detector. In addition to data taking also the comparison with simulated events is a crucial part of physics analyses. The first part of this thesis introduces a new cosmic muon generator, CMSCGEN, and it presents its validation by comparing its predictions with data from MTCC. As an example, results from a reconstruction study using the barrel muon system are shown, comparing data and Monte Carlo prediction at the level of single chambers up to reconstructed tracks including momentum measurements. Since leptons (electrons, muons) constitute very clean signatures for signals of new physics these commissioning and alignment procedures are also vital to most physics analyses. In the second part of this thesis a model independent search approach for new physics within CMS is presented, utilizing events with leptons and relying only on the knowledge of the Standard Model simulation. Such an analysis can contribute to the understanding of the detector and th e tuning of the event generators. Due to the absence of a theoretical bias this approach is sensitive to a variety of models, including those not yet thought of. Within this feasibility study events are classified according to their particle content (muons, electrons, photons, jets, missing energy) into so called event classes. A broad scan of various distributions is performed, identifying significant deviations from the SM Monte Carlo simulation. The importance of systematic uncertainties is outlined, which are taken into account rigorously within the search algorithm. Several theoretical models such as Supersymmetry and new heavy gauge bosons as well as possible detector effects and generator issues have been fed into the search algorithm as benchmark scenarios to demonstrate its capabilities. Thus this approach supplements the traditional model-driven searches.