On the Topic of Jets
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We introduce jet topics: a framework to identify underlying classes of jets from collider data. Because of a close mathematical relationship between distributions of observables in jets and emergent themes in sets of documents, we can apply recent techniques in "topic modeling" to extract jet topics from data with no input from simulation or theory. As a proof-of-concept with parton shower samples, we apply jet topics to determine separate quark and gluon distributions for constituent multiplicity. We also determine separate quark and gluon rapidity spectra from a mixed Z-plus-jet sample. Because jet topics are defined directly from hadron-level multi-differential cross sections, one can predict jet topics from first-principles theoretical calculations, with potential implications for how to define quark and gluon jets beyond leading-logarithmic accuracy. These investigations suggest that jet topics will be useful for extracting underlying jet distributions and fractions in a wide range of contexts at the Large Hadron Collider.
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