Showing papers on "Electroweak interaction published in 2011"

Weak Corrections are Relevant for Dark Matter Indirect Detection

Abstract: The computation of the energy spectra of Standard Model particles originated from the annihilation/decay of dark matter particles is of primary importance in indirect searches of dark matter. We compute how the inclusion of electroweak corrections significantly alter such spectra when the mass M of dark matter particles is larger than the electroweak scale: soft electroweak gauge bosons are copiously radiated opening new channels in the final states which otherwise would be forbidden if such corrections are neglected. All stable particles are therefore present in the final spectrum, independently of the primary channel of dark matter annihilation/decay. Such corrections are model-independent.

Baryon Washout, Electroweak Phase Transition, and Perturbation Theory

Abstract: We analyze the conventional perturbative treatment of sphaleron-induced baryon number washout relevant for electroweak baryogenesis and show that it is not gauge independent due to the failure of consistently implementing the Nielsen identities order-by order in perturbation theory We provide a gauge-independent criterion for baryon number preservation in place of the conventional (gauge-dependent) criterion needed for successful electroweak baryogenesis We also review the arguments leading to the preservation criterion and analyze several sources of theoretical uncertainties in obtaining a numerical bound In various beyond the standard model scenarios, a realistic perturbative treatment will likely require knowledge of the complete two-loop finite temperature effective potential and the one-loop sphaleron rate

Two-Loop Electroweak Corrections for the K -> pi nu anti-nu Decays

Abstract: The rare K ! decays play a central role in testing the Standard Model and its extensions. Upcoming experiments plan to measure the decay rates with high accuracy. Yet, unknown higher-order electroweak corrections result in a sizeable theory error. We remove this uncertainty by computing the full two-loop electroweak corrections to the top-quark contribution Xt to the rare decays KL! 0 , K + ! + , and B ! Xd;s in the Standard Model. The remaining theoretical uncertainty related to electroweak eects is now far below 1%. Finally we update the branching ratios to

Updated Status of the Global Electroweak Fit and Constraints on New Physics

Abstract: We present an update of the Standard Model fit to electroweak precision data. We include newest experimental results on the top quark mass, the W mass and width, and the Higgs boson mass bounds from LEP, Tevatron and the LHC. We also include a new determination of the electromagnetic coupling strength at the Z pole. We find for the Higgs boson mass (91 +30 -23) GeV and (120 +12 -5) GeV when not including and including the direct Higgs searches, respectively. From the latter fit we indirectly determine the W mass to be (80.360 +0.014 -0.013) GeV. We exploit the data to determine experimental constraints on the oblique vacuum polarisation parameters, and confront these with predictions from the Standard Model (SM) and selected SM extensions. By fitting the oblique parameters to the electroweak data we derive allowed regions in the BSM parameter spaces. We revisit and consistently update these constraints for a fourth fourth fermion generation, two Higgs doublet, inert Higgs and littlest Higgs models, models with large, universal or warped extra dimensions and technicolour. In most of the models studied a heavy Higgs boson can be made compatible with the electroweak precision data.

Electroweak baryogenesis in two Higgs doublet models and B meson anomalies

Abstract: Motivated by 3.9σ evidence of a CP-violating phase beyond the standard model in the like-sign dimuon asymmetry reported by D∅, we examine the potential for two Higgs doublet models (2HDMs) to achieve successful electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG) while explaining the dimuon anomaly. Our emphasis is on the minimal flavour violating 2HDM, but our numerical scans of model parameter space include type I and type II models as special cases. We incorporate relevant particle physics constraints, including electroweak precision data, b → sγ, the neutron electric dipole moment, R b , and perturbative coupling bounds to constrain the model. Surprisingly, we find that a large enough baryon asymmetry is only consistently achieved in a small subset of parameter space in 2HDMs, regardless of trying to simultaneously account for any B physics anomaly. There is some tension between simultaneous explanation of the dimuon anomaly and baryogenesis, but using a Markov chain Monte Carlo we find several models within 1σ of the central values. We point out shortcomings with previous studies that reached different conclusions. The restricted parameter space that allows for EWBG makes this scenario highly predictive for collider searches. We discuss the most promising signatures to pursue at the LHC for EWBG-compatible models.

Scale invariant extension of the standard model with a strongly interacting hidden sector.

Abstract: We present a scale invariant extension of the standard model with a new QCD-like strong interaction in the hidden sector. A scale ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{H}$ is dynamically generated in the hidden sector by dimensional transmutation, and chiral symmetry breaking occurs in the hidden sector. This scale is transmitted to the SM sector by a real singlet scalar messenger $S$ and can trigger electroweak symmetry breaking. Thus all the mass scales in this model arise from the hidden sector scale ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{H}$, which has quantum mechanical origin. Furthermore, the lightest hadrons in the hidden sector are stable by the flavor conservation of the hidden sector strong interaction, and could be the cold dark matter (CDM). We study collider phenomenology, relic density, and direct detection rates of the CDM of this model.

Gluons and the quark sea at high energies: distributions, polarization, tomography

Abstract: This report is based on a ten-week program on "Gluons and the quark sea at high-energies", which took place at the Institute for Nuclear Theory in Seattle in Fall 2010. The principal aim of the program was to develop and sharpen the science case for an Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a facility that will be able to collide electrons and positrons with polarized protons and with light to heavy nuclei at high energies, offering unprecedented possibilities for in-depth studies of quantum chromodynamics. This report is organized around four major themes: i) the spin and flavor structure of the proton, ii) three-dimensional structure of nucleons and nuclei in momentum and configuration space, iii) QCD matter in nuclei, and iv) Electroweak physics and the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. Beginning with an executive summary, the report contains tables of key measurements, chapter overviews for each of the major scientific themes, and detailed individual contributions on various aspects of the scientific opportunities presented by an EIC.

Direct detection of electroweak-interacting dark matter

Abstract: Assuming that the lightest neutral component in an SU(2)_L gauge multiplet is the main ingredient of dark matter in the universe, we calculate the elastic scattering cross section of the dark matter with nucleon, which is an important quantity for the direct detection experiments. When the dark matter is a real scalar or a Majorana fermion which has only electroweak gauge interactions, the scattering with quarks and gluon are induced through one- and two-loop quantum processes, respectively, and both of them give rise to comparable contributions to the elastic scattering cross section. We evaluate all of the contributions at the leading order and find that there is an accidental cancellation among them. As a result, the spin-independent cross section is found to be O(10^(−(46−48))) cm^2, which is far below the current experimental bounds.

Higgs production at the lHC

Abstract: We analyze the production of Higgs particles at the early stage of the CERN large Hadron Collider with a 7TeV center of mass energy (lHC). We first consider the case of the Standard Model Higgs boson that is mainly produced in the gluon-gluon fusion channel and to be detected in its decays into electroweak gauge bosons, gg → H → W W, ZZ, γγ. The production cross sections at √ s = 7TeV and the decay branching ratios, including all relevant higher order QCD and electroweak corrections, are evaluated. An emphasis is put on the various theoretical uncertainties that affect the production rates: the significant uncertainties from scale variation and from the parametrization of the parton distribution functions as well as the uncertainties which arise due to the use of an effective field theory in the calculation of the next-to-next-to-leading order corrections. The parametric uncertainties stemming from the values of the strong coupling constant and the heavy quark masses in the Higgs decay branching ratios, which turn out to be non-negligible, are also discussed. The implications for different center of mass energies of the proton collider, √ s = 8-10TeV as well as for the design energy √ s = 14TeV, are briefly summarized. We then discuss the production of the neutral Higgs particles of the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model in the two main channels: gluon-gluon and bottom quark fusion leading to Higgs bosons which subsequently decay into tau lepton or b-quark pairs, gg, bb → Higgs → τ + τ − , b¯. The Higgs production cross sections at the lHC and the decay branching ratios are analyzed. The associated theoretical uncertainties are found to be rather large and will have a significant impact on the parameter space of the model that can be probed.

Dark matter and a new gauge boson through kinetic mixing

Abstract: We consider a hidden sector model of dark matter which is charged under a hidden U(1) X gauge symmetry. Kinetic mixing of U(1) X with the Standard Model hypercharge U(1) Y is allowed to provide communication between the hidden sector and the Standard Model sector. We present various limits on the kinetic mixing parameter and the hidden gauge coupling constant coming from various low energy observables, electroweak precision tests, and the right thermal relic density of the dark matter. Saturating these constraints, we show that the spin-independent elastic cross section of the dark matter off nucleons is mostly below the current experimental limits, but within the future sensitivity. Finally, we analyze the prospect of observing the hidden gauge boson through its dimuon decay channel at hadron colliders.

Natural SUSY Endures

Abstract: The first 1/fb of LHC searches have set impressive limits on new colored particles decaying to missing energy. We address the implication of these searches for naturalness in supersymmetry (SUSY). General bottom-up considerations of natural electroweak symmetry breaking show that higgsinos, stops, and the gluino should not be too far above the weak scale. The rest of the spectrum, including the squarks of the first two generations, can be heavier and beyond the current LHC reach. We have used collider simulations to determine the limits that all of the 1/fb searches pose on higgsinos, stops, and the gluino. We find that stops and the left-handed sbottom are starting to be constrained and must be heavier than about 200-300 GeV when decaying to higgsinos. The gluino must be heavier than about 600-800 GeV when it decays to stops and sbottoms. While these findings point toward scenarios with a lighter third generation split from the other squarks, we do find that moderately-tuned regions remain, where the gluino is just above 1 TeV and all the squarks are degenerate and light. Among all the searches, jets plus missing energy and same-sign dileptons often provide the most powerful probes of natural SUSY. Overall, our results indicate that natural SUSY has survived the first 1/fb of data. The LHC is now on the brink of exploring the most interesting region of SUSY parameter space.

Gluons and the Quark Sea at High Energies: Distributions, Polarization, Tomography

Abstract: This report is based on a ten-week program on "Gluons and the quark sea at high-energies", which took place at the Institute for Nuclear Theory in Seattle in Fall 2010. The principal aim of the program was to develop and sharpen the science case for an Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a facility that will be able to collide electrons and positrons with polarized protons and with light to heavy nuclei at high energies, offering unprecedented possibilities for in-depth studies of quantum chromodynamics. This report is organized around four major themes: i) the spin and flavor structure of the proton, ii) three-dimensional structure of nucleons and nuclei in momentum and configuration space, iii) QCD matter in nuclei, and iv) Electroweak physics and the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. Beginning with an executive summary, the report contains tables of key measurements, chapter overviews for each of the major scientific themes, and detailed individual contributions on various aspects of the scientific opportunities presented by an EIC.

Measurement of the t-channel single top quark production cross section in pp collisions at √s = 7TeV

Abstract: Electroweak production of the top quark is measured in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using a dataset collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns. With an event selection optimized for t-channel production, two complementary analyses are performed. The first one exploits the special angular properties of the signal, together with background estimates from data. The second approach uses a multivariate analysis technique to probe the compatibility with signal topology expected from electroweak top quark production. The combined measurement of the cross section is 83.6 +/- 29.8 (stat.+syst.) +/- 3.3 (lumi.) pb, consistent with the standard model expectation.

Electroweak Gauge-Boson Production at Small q_T: Infrared Safety from the Collinear Anomaly

Abstract: Using methods from effective field theory, we develop a novel, systematic framework for the calculation of the cross sections for electroweak gauge-boson production at small and very small transverse momentum q_T, in which large logarithms of the scale ratio M_V/q_T are resummed to all orders. These cross sections receive logarithmically enhanced corrections from two sources: the running of the hard matching coefficient and the collinear factorization anomaly. The anomaly leads to the dynamical generation of a non-perturbative scale q_* ~ M_V e^{-const/\alpha_s(M_V)}, which protects the processes from receiving large long-distance hadronic contributions. Expanding the cross sections in either \alpha_s or q_T generates strongly divergent series, which must be resummed. As a by-product, we obtain an explicit non-perturbative expression for the intercept of the cross sections at q_T=0, including the normalization and first-order \alpha_s(q_*) correction. We perform a detailed numerical comparison of our predictions with the available data on the transverse-momentum distribution in Z-boson production at the Tevatron and LHC.

Electroweak corrections to dilepton + jet production at hadron colliders

Abstract: The first calculation of the next-to-leading-order electroweak corrections to Z-boson + jet hadroproduction including leptonic Z-boson decays is presented, i.e. to the production of a charged lepton-anti-lepton final state in association with one hard jet at the LHC and the Tevatron. The Z-boson resonance is treated consistently using the complex-mass scheme, and all off-shell effects as well as the contributions of the intermediate photon are taken into account. The corresponding next-to-leading-order QCD corrections have also been recalculated. The full calculation is implemented in a flexible Monte Carlo code. Numerical results for cross sections and distributions of this Standard Model benchmark process are presented for the Tevatron and the LHC.

Low Energy Signatures of the TeV Scale See-Saw Mechanism

Abstract: avour structure of the indicated CC and NC couplings of the heavy RH neutrinos is essentially determined by the low energy neutrino parameters, leading to fairly strong correlations among the new phenomena. In particular, we show that the present bound on the ! e + decay rate makes very dicult the observation of the heavy RH neutrinos at the LHC or the observation of deviations from the Standard Model predictions in the electroweak precision data. We also show that all present experimental constraints on this scenario still allow i) for an enhancement of the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay, which thus can be in the range of sensitivity of the GERDA experiment even when the light Majorana neutrinos possess a normal hierarchical mass spectrum, and ii) for the predicted ! e+ decay rate to be within the sensitivity range of the MEG experiment.

On the importance of electroweak corrections for Majorana dark matter indirect detection

Abstract: Recent analyses have shown that the inclusion of electroweak corrections can alter significantly the energy spectra of Standard Model particles originated from dark matter annihilations. We investigate the important situation where the radiation of electroweak gauge bosons has a substantial influence: a Majorana dark matter particle annihilating into two light fermions. This process is in p-wave and hence suppressed by the small value of the relative velocity of the annihilating particles. The inclusion of electroweak radiation eludes this suppression and opens up a potentially sizeable s-wave contribution to the annihilation cross section. We study this effect in detail and explore its impact on the fluxes of stable particles resulting from the dark matter annihilations, which are relevant for dark matter indirect searches. We also discuss the effective field theory approach, pointing out that the opening of the s-wave is missed at the level of dimension-six operators and only encoded by higher orders.

Low energy signatures of the TeV scale seesaw mechanism

Abstract: We study a type I seesaw scenario where the right-handed (RH) neutrinos, responsible for the light neutrino mass generation, lie at the electroweak scale. Under certain conditions, the strength of the charged current (CC) and neutral current (NC) weak interactions of the standard model particles with the heavy RH neutrinos can be large enough to allow the production of the latter at the LHC, opening also the possibility of observing other low energy signatures of the new physics in the electroweak precision observables as well as in searches for rare leptonic decays or neutrinoless double beta decay. In this scenario the flavor structure of the indicated CC and NC couplings of the heavy RH neutrinos is essentially determined by the low energy neutrino parameters, leading to fairly strong correlations among the new phenomena. In particular, we show that the present bound on the $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ decay rate makes very difficult the observation of the heavy RH neutrinos at the LHC or the observation of deviations from the standard model predictions in the electroweak precision data. We also show that all present experimental constraints on this scenario still allow (i) for an enhancement of the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay, which thus can be in the range of sensitivity of the GERDA experiment even when the light Majorana neutrinos possess a normal hierarchical mass spectrum, and (ii) for the predicted $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ decay rate to be within the sensitivity range of the MEG experiment.

Hidden SUSY at the LHC: the light higgsino-world scenario and the role of a lepton collider

Abstract: While the SUSY flavor, CP and gravitino problems seem to favor a very heavy spectrum of matter scalars, fine-tuning in the electroweak sector prefers low values of superpotential mass μ. In the limit of low μ, the two lightest neutralinos and light chargino are higgsino-like. The light charginos and neutralinos may have large production cross sections at LHC, but since they are nearly mass degenerate, there is only small energy release in three-body sparticle decays. Possible dilepton and trilepton signatures are difficult to observe after mild cuts due to the very soft pT spectrum of the final state isolated leptons. Thus, the higgsino-world scenario can easily elude standard SUSY searches at the LHC. It should motivate experimental searches to focus on dimuon and trimuon production at the very lowest pT (μ) values possible. If the neutralino relic abundance is enhanced via non-standard cosmological dark matter production, then there exist excellent prospects for direct or indirect detection of higgsino-like WIMPs. While the higgsino-world scenario may easily hide from LHC SUSY searches, a linear e+e− collider or a muon collider operating in the $ \sqrt {s} \sim 0.{5} - {1}\;{\text{TeV}} $ range would be able to easily access the chargino and neutralino pair production reactions.

The MSSM confronts the precision electroweak data and the muon g − 2

Abstract: We update the electroweak study of the predictions of the Minimal Super-symmetric Standard Model (MSSM) including the recent results on the muon anomalous magnetic moment, the weak boson masses, and the final precision data on the Z boson parameters from LEP and SLC. We find that the region of the parameter space where the slepton masses are a few hundred GeV is favored from the muon g − 2 for tan β ~ 10, whereas for tan β ≃ 50 heavier slepton mass up to ~ 1000 GeV can account for the reported 3.2 σ difference between its experimental value and the Standard Model (SM) prediction. As for the electroweak measurements, the SM gives a good description, and the sfermions lighter than 200 GeV tend to make the fit worse. We find, however, that sleptons as light as 100 to 200 GeV are favored also from the electroweak data, if we leave out the jet asymme-try data that do not agree with the leptonic asymmetry data. We extend the survey of the preferred MSSM parameters by including the constraints from the b → sγ transition, and find favorable scenarios in the minimal supergravity, gauge-, and mirage-mediation models of supersymmetry breaking.

Light asymmetric dark matter from new strong dynamics

Abstract: A $\ensuremath{\sim}5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ ``dark baryon'' with a cosmic asymmetry similar to that of baryons is a natural candidate for the dark matter. We study the possibility of generating such a state through dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking, and show that it can share the relic baryon asymmetry via sphaleron interactions, even though it has no electroweak interactions. The scattering cross section on nucleons, estimated in analogy to QCD, is within reach of underground direct detection experiments.

Suppressing electroweak precision observables in 5D warped models

Abstract: We elaborate on a recently proposed mechanism to suppress large contributions to the electroweak precision observables in five dimensional (5D) warped models, without the need for an extended 5D gauge sector. The main ingredient is a modification of the AdS metric in the vicinity of the infrared (IR) brane corresponding to a strong deviation from conformality in the IR of the 4D holographic dual. We compute the general low energy effective theory of the 5D warped Standard Model, emphasizing additional IR contributions to the wave function renormalization of the light Higgs mode. We also derive expressions for the S and T parameters as a function of a generic 5D metric and zero-mode wave functions. We give an approximate formula for the mass of the radion that works even for strong deviation from the AdS background. We proceed to work out the details of an explicit model and derive bounds for the first KK masses of the various bulk fields. The radion is the lightest new particle although its mass is already at about 1/3 of the mass of the lightest resonances, the KK states of the gauge bosons. We examine carefully various issues that can arise for extreme choices of parameters such as the possible reintroduction of the hierarchy problem, the onset of nonperturbative physics due to strong IR curvature or the creation of new hierarchies near the Planck scale. We conclude that a KK scale of 1 TeV is compatible with all these constraints.

VBFNLO: A Parton Level Monte Carlo for Processes with Electroweak Bosons -- Manual for Version 2.7.0

Abstract: VBFNLO is a flexible parton level Monte Carlo program for the simulation of vector boson fusion (VBF), QCD induced single and double vector boson production plus two jets, and double and triple vector boson production (plus jet) in hadronic collisions at next-to-leading order (NLO) in the strong coupling constant, as well as Higgs boson plus two jet production via gluon fusion at the one-loop level. For the new version -- Version 2.7.0 -- several major enhancements have been included into VBFNLO. The following new production processes have been added: $W\gamma jj$ in VBF, $HHjj$ in VBF, $W$, $Wj$, $WH$, $WHj$, $pp\to \text{Spin-2}jj$ in VBF (with $\text{Spin-2}\to WW/ZZ\to\text{leptons}$) and the QCD induced processes $WZjj$, $W\gamma jj$, $W^\pm W^\pm jj$ and $Wjj$ production. The implementation of anomalous gauge boson couplings has been extended to all triboson and VBF $VVjj$ processes, with an enlarged set of operators yielding anomalous couplings. Finally, semileptonic decay modes of the vector bosons are now available for many processes, including $VVjj$ in VBF, $VVV$ and $VV\gamma$ production.

Total cross-section for Higgs boson hadroproduction with anomalous Standard Model interactions

Abstract: We present a new program (iHixs) which computes the inclusive Higgs boson cross-section at hadron colliders. It incorporates QCD corrections through NNLO, real and virtual electroweak corrections, mixed QCD-electroweak corrections, quark-mass effects through NLO in QCD, and finite width effects for the Higgs boson and heavy quarks. iHixs can be used to obtain the most precise cross-section values in fixed order perturbation theory in the Standard Model. In addition, it allows for a consistent evaluation of the cross-section in modified Higgs boson sectors with anomalous Yukawa and electroweak interactions as required in extensions of the Standard Model. iHixs is interfaced with the LHAPDF library and can be used with all available NNLO sets of parton distribution functions.

Large Gravitational Wave Background Signals in Electroweak Baryogenesis Scenarios

Abstract: The bubble wall velocity in an electroweak first order phase transition is a key quantity both for electroweak baryogenesis and for the production of a stochastic background of gravitational waves that may be probed in the future through gravitational wave experiments like LISA or BBO. We show that, contrary to the conclusion drawn from previous studies, it is actually possible to generate a potentially large gravitational wave signal while satisfying the requirements for viable electroweak baryogenesis, once the effects of the hydrodynamics of bubble growth are taken into account. Then, the observation of a large gravitational wave background from the electroweak phase transition would not necessarily rule out electroweak baryogenesis as the mechanism having generated the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe.

A supersymmetric one Higgs doublet model

Abstract: We present a supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model in which only one electroweak doublet acquires a vacuum expectation value and gives mass to Standard Model fermions. As well as the novel accommodation of a Standard Model Higgs within a supersymmetric framework, this leads to a very predictive model, with some advantages over the MSSM. In particular, problems with proton decay, flavour changing neutral currents and large CP violation are ameliorated, primarily due to the presence of an anomaly-free R-symmetry. Since supersymmetry must be broken at a low scale, gravity-mediated effects which break the R-symmetry are naturally small. The R-symmetry requires the presence of adjoint chiral superfields, to give Dirac masses to the gauginos; these adjoints are the only non-MSSM fields in the visible sector. The LSP is a very light neutralino, which is mostly bino. Such a light neutralino is not in conflict with experiment, and is a striking prediction of the minimal model. Additional scenarios to raise the mass of this neutralino to the weak scale are also outlined. Prospects for discovery at the LHC are briefly discussed, along with viable scenarios for achieving gauge-coupling unification.