Can vector-like quarks hide from the Large Hadron Collider?

Physicists built VLQBounds, an open-source tool that tests whether hypothetical vector-like quarks—heavier cousins of standard quarks—are ruled out by LHC data. The framework compares predicted collision signatures across multiple production modes and decay channels to published ATLAS and CMS exclusion limits, automatically flagging which experiments constrain each model most tightly. This lets theorists quickly scan new parameter spaces and validate existing bounds without reimplementing complex experimental analyses.