Search

This work presents the computation of real corrections to the impact factor for forward Higgs boson production, preserving the full dependence on the top-quark mass. The results are shown to align with the BFKL factorization framework, particularly in reproducing the expected rapidity divergence. Additionally, the subtraction of this divergence has been demonstrated using the appropriate counterterm within the BFKL scheme. In the infinite-top-mass limit, our findings reproduce the previously established result., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Presented by Gabriele Gatto at "Diffraction and Low-$x$ 2024'', Trabia (Palermo, Italy), September 8-14, 2024

First order phase transitions in the early universe may have left a variety of experimentally accessible imprints. The dynamics of such transitions is governed by the density perturbations caused by the propagation of the bubble wall in the false vacuum plasma, conveniently described by a Boltzmann equation. The determination of the bubble wall expansion velocity is crucial to determine the experimental signatures of the transition. We report on the first full (numerical) solution to the Boltzmann equation. Differently from traditional ones, our approach does not rely on any ansatz. The results significantly differ from the ones obtained within the fluid approximation and large differences for the friction acting on the bubble wall are found. The wall velocity is calculated in a singlet extension of the Standard Model, including out-of-equilibrium contributions from both the top quark and the electroweak gauge bosons., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, presented at QCD@Work International Workshop on QCD Theory and Experiment 2024

This study explores the parameter space of a minimal extension of the Standard Model with a non-abelian $SU(2)$ group, in which the gauge bosons are stable and acquire mass through a mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking involving a new scalar doublet which interacts with the Higgs boson through a quartic coupling. The exploration aims to assess whether it is possible to obtain a first-order phase transition while ensuring that the gauge bosons are viable dark matter candidates. Theoretical, astrophysical and collider bounds are considered. The results are then tested against the sensitivity of future experiments for the detection of gravitational wave signals., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, presented by Maimoona Razzaq at QCD@Work International Workshop on QCD Theory and Experiment 2024

We compute the real corrections to the impact factor for the production of a forward Higgs boson, retaining full top-mass dependence. We demonstrate that the rapidity divergence is the one predicted by the BFKL factorization and perform the explicit subtraction in the BFKL scheme. We show that the IR-structure of the impact factor is the expected one and that, in the infinite-top-mass approximation, the previously known result is recovered. We also verify that the impact factor vanishes when the transverse momenta of the $t$-channel Reggeon goes to zero, in agreement with its gauge-invariant definition, exploiting the $m_t \rightarrow \infty$ expansion up to the next-to-next-to-leading order., Comment: 29 pages, 6 figures

We present novel predictions for rapidity and transverse-momentum distributions sensitive to the emission of a Higgs boson accompanied by a jet in proton collisions, calculated within the NLO fixed order in QCD and matched with the next-to leading energy-logarithmic accuracy. We also highlight first advancements in the extension of our analysis to the $Z$-boson case. We come out with the message that the improvement of fixed-order calculations on Higgs- and $Z$-boson plus jet distributions is a required step to reach the precision level of the description of observables relevant for Higgs and electroweak physics at current LHC energies and nominal FCC ones., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, proceedings of the 31st International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS2024), 8-12 April 2024, Grenoble, France

Precision physics in the Higgs sector has been one of the main challenges of particle physics in the recent years. The pure fixed-order calculations entering the collinear factorization framework, which have been pushed up to next-cube-leading-order, are not able to describe the entire kinematic spectrum. In particular sectors, they have to be necessarily enhanced by all-order resummations. In the so-called semi-hard regime, large energy-type logarithms spoil the perturbative convergence of the series and must be resummed to all orders. This resummation is a core ingredient for a correct description of the inclusive hadroproduction of a forward Higgs boson in the limit of small Bjorken $x$, as well as for a precision study of inclusive forward emissions of a Higgs boson in association with a backward identified object. A complete resummation for these processes can be achieved at the at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy thanks to the Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov approach. In the present work we present and discuss a series of recent phenomenological results within a partial next-to-leading accuracy. They include the analysis of rapidity and azimuthal-angle differential rates for Higgs plus jet and Higgs plus charm reactions in forward and ultraforward directions of rapidity at the LHC., Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, proceedings of the 31st International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS2024), 8-12 April 2024, Grenoble, France

A precise modelling of the dynamics of bubbles nucleated during first-order phase transitions in the early Universe is pivotal for a quantitative determination of various cosmic relics, including the stochastic background of gravitational waves. The equation of motion of the bubble front is affected by the out-of-equilibrium distributions of particle species in the plasma which, in turn, are described by the corresponding Boltzmann equations. In this work we provide a solution to these equations by thoroughly incorporating the non-linearities arising from the population factors. Moreover, our methodology relies on a spectral decomposition that leverages the rotational properties of the collision integral within the Boltzmann equations. This novel approach allows for an efficient and robust computation of both the bubble speed and profile. We also refine our analysis by including the contributions from the electroweak gauge bosons. We find that their impact is dominated by the infrared modes and proves to be non-negligible, contrary to the naive expectations., Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures

We report progress on the study of the inclusive semi-hard hadroproduction of a Higgs+jet system at LHC and FCC collision energies. We describe a prototype matching procedure aimed at combining NLO fixed-order computations via POWHEG, with the NLL resummation of energy logarithms from JETHAD. We present preliminary analyses on assessing the weight of systematic uncertainties, such as the ones coming from finite top- and bottom-quark masses., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, presented by F.G. Celiberto at the European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics (EPS-HEP) 2023, 20-25 August 2023, Universit\"at Hamburg

We show how effects of compositeness emerging in a Composite 2-Higgs Doublet Model can enter Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs pair production at the Large Hadron Collider in both resonant and non-resonant mode. Such effects can arise from modified trilinear Higgs self-couplings and top-Yukawa couplings as well as from loops of new heavy quarks and additional quartic Higgs-fermion interactions. In the resonant case, significant distortions of the Breit- Wigner shape of a new scalar state decaying into the two SM-like Higgs states may occur due to interference effects amongst not only the SM-like diagrams but also those involving the new heavy quarks. In the non-resonant case, a modification of the underlying line-shape and a local maximum at twice a new heavy quark mass appear simultaneously. We quantify these effects by taking into account the relevant theoretical and latest experimental bounds., Comment: 38 pages, 16 figures

We consider the semi-inclusive emission of a Higgs boson in association with a light-flavored jet separated by a large rapidity interval at the LHC. The accessed kinematic regimes fall into the so-called semi-hard sector, whose theoretical description lies at the intersection corner between the collinear factorization and the high-energy resummation. We present a prototype version of a matching procedure aimed at combining next-to-leading fixed-order (NLO) calculations from POWHEG with the resummation of next-to-leading energy logarithms (NLL) as obtained from JETHAD., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, presented by F.G. Celiberto at the 16th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections: Applications of Quantum Field Theory to Phenomenology (RADCOR 2023), Crieff (Scotland), 28 May - 02 June, 2023

We study the inclusive production, at hadron colliders, of a Higgs boson and a jet widely separated in rapidity. Kinematic sectors explored fall into the so-called semi-hard regime, where both fixed-order and high-energy dynamics come into play. Therefore, we propose a first version of a matching procedure aimed at combining NLO fixed-order computations, as obtained from POWHEG, with the NLL resummation of energy logarithms via JETHAD. According to our knowledge, this represents a novel implementation of a matching in the context of the high-energy resummation at NLL and for rapidity-separated two-particle final states., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Contribution to the 2023 QCD session of the 57th Rencontres de Moriond

The dynamics of the true-vacuum bubbles nucleated during a first-order phase transition is affected by the distribution functions of the particle species in the plasma, driven out-of-equilibrium by the travelling domain wall. An accurate modelling of this phenomenon is relevant for a quantitative description of phase transitions in the early universe and for the determination of the corresponding cosmic relics, such as, among the others, the stochastic background of gravitational waves. We address this problem by developing a new spectral method devised for a fast and reliable computation of the collision integral in the Boltzmann equations. In a scalar singlet extension of the Standard Model chosen as a benchmark scenario, we test our algorithm, determining the bubble speed and profile, and we asses the impact of the out-of-equilibrium dynamics., Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures

First order phase transitions in the early universe naturally lead to the production of a stochastic background of gravitational waves and to the generation of a matter-antimatter asymmetry. The dynamics of the phase transition is affected by the density perturbations in the hot plasma. We address this topic by providing, for the first time, a full numerical solution to the linearized Boltzmann equation for the top quark species coupled to the Higgs field during a first order phase transition at the electroweak scale. Differently from the traditional approaches, our results do not depend on any ansatz and can fully describe the non-equilibrium distribution functions of the particle species in the plasma., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, presented by Luigi Delle Rose at QCD@Work-International Workshop on QCD - Theory and Experiment, 27-30 June 2022

The inert doublet model is a well-motivated extension of the Standard Model that contains a dark matter candidate and modifies the dynamics of the electroweak symmetry breaking. In order to detail its phenomenology, we perform a comprehensive study of cosmic phase transitions and gravitational wave signals implied by the framework, accounting for the latest results of collider experiments. We require the neutral inert scalar to constitute, at least, a subdominant part of the observed dark matter abundance. While most of the phase transitions proceed through a single step, we identify regions of the parameter space where the electroweak vacuum is reached after multiple phase transitions. The resulting gravitational wave spectrum is generally dominated by single-step transitions and, in part of the parameter space, falls within the reach of future gravitational wave detectors such as LISA, BBO or DECIGO. We find that direct detection experiments efficiently probe the part of parameter space associated with multi-step phase transitions, which remain unconstrained only in the Higgs resonance region testable with future monojet searches. The implications of the new determination of the $W$ boson mass are also discussed., Comment: 27 pages, 17 figures. Version accepted by JCAP

Theoretical investigations into the evolution of the early universe are an essential part of particle physics that allow us to identify viable extensions to the Standard Model as well as motivated parameter space that can be probed by various experiments and observations. In this white paper, we review particle physics models of the early universe. First, we outline various models that explain two essential ingredients of the early universe (dark matter and baryon asymmetry) and those that seek to address current observational anomalies. We then discuss dynamics of the early universe in models of neutrino masses, axions, and several solutions to the electroweak hierarchy problem. Finally, we review solutions to naturalness problems of the Standard Model that employ cosmological dynamics., Comment: contribution to Snowmass 2021

We show how to simplify the calculation of the finite contributions from heavy particles to EFT Wilson coefficients by using on-shell methods. We apply the technique to the one-loop calculation of $g-2$ and $H\gamma\gamma$, showing how finite contributions can be obtained from the product of tree-level amplitudes. In certain cases, due to a parity symmetry of these amplitudes, the total contribution adds up to zero, as previously found in the literature. Our method allows to search for new natural zeros, as well as to obtain non-zero contributions in a straightforward way., Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures

First order phase transitions could play a major role in the early universe, providing important phenomenological consequences, such as the production of gravitational waves and the generation of baryon asymmetry. An important aspect that determines the properties of the phase transition is the dynamics of the true-vacuum bubbles, which is controlled by the density perturbations in the hot plasma. We study this aspect presenting, for the first time, the full solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation for the top quark species coupled to the Higgs field during a first-order electroweak phase transition. Our approach, differently from the traditional one based on the fluid approximation, does not rely on any ansatz and can fully capture the density perturbations in the plasma. We find that our results significantly differ from the ones obtained in the fluid approximation (including its extensions and modifications), both at the qualitative and quantitative level. In particular sizable differences are found for the friction acting on the bubble wall., Comment: 25 pages, 24 figures

In this note, we show how one can attribute the anomaly currently present in the measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon ($a_\mu$) to the presence of an underlying Aligned 2-Higgs Doublet Model (A2HDM) with Right-Handed (RH) neutrinos, $\nu_R$. The effects of the latter scenario are driven by one and two-loop topologies wherein a very light CP-odd neutral Higgs state ($A$) contributes significantly to $a_\mu$. Over the region of parameter space of our new physics model which explains the aforementioned anomaly, also consistent with the most recent measurements of the electron anomalous magnetic moment ($a_e$), wherein the charged Higgs state $H^\pm$ plays a similar role, we predict an almost background-free hallmark signature of it, due to $H^\pm A$ production followed by Higgs boson decays yielding multi-$\tau$ final states, which can be already be searched for at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, contribution to the proceedings of the Charged Higgs Online workshop

We explain anomalies currently present in various data samples used for the measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of electron ($a_e$) and muon ($a_\mu$) in terms of an Aligned 2-Higgs Doublet Model with right-handed neutrinos. The explanation is driven by one and two-loop topologies wherein a very light CP-odd neutral Higgs state ($A$) contributes significantly to $a_\mu$ but negligibly to $a_e$, so as to revert the sign of the new physics corrections in the former case with respect to the latter, wherein the dominant contribution is due to a charged Higgs boson ($H^\pm$) and heavy neutrinos with mass at the electroweak scale. For the region of parameter space of our new physics model which explains the aforementioned anomalies we also predict an almost background-free smoking-gun signature of it, consisting of $H^\pm A$ production followed by Higgs boson decays yielding multi-$\tau$ final states, which can be pursued at the Large Hadron Collider., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures

The future 100 TeV FCC-hh hadron collider will give access to rare but clean final states which are out of reach of the HL-LHC. One such process is the $Zh$ production channel in the $(\nu\bar{\nu} / \ell^{+}\ell^{-})\gamma\gamma$ final states. We study the sensitivity of this channel to the $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi q}^{(1)}$, $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi q}^{(3)}$, $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi u}$, and $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi d}$ SMEFT operators, which parametrize deviations of the $W$ and $Z$ couplings to quarks, or, equivalently, anomalous trilinear gauge couplings (aTGC). While our analysis shows that good sensitivity is only achievable for $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi q}^{(3)}$, we demonstrate that binning in the $Zh$ rapidity has the potential to improve the reach on $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi q}^{(1)}$. Our estimated bounds are one order of magnitude better than projections at HL-LHC and is better than global fits at future lepton colliders. The sensitivity to $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi q}^{(3)}$ is competitive with other channels that could probe the same operator at FCC-hh. Therefore, combining the different diboson channels sizeably improves the bound on $\mathcal{O}_{\varphi q}^{(3)}$, reaching a precision of $|\delta g_{1z}| \lesssim 2 \times 10^{-4}$ on the deviations in the $ZWW$ interactions., Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures, 9 tables. v2: a few small clarifications added, results and discussion unchanged, matches version published in JHEP

Theories with generalised conformal structure contain a dimensionful parameter, which appears as an overall multiplicative factor in the action. Examples of such theories are gauge theories coupled to massless scalars and fermions with Yukawa interactions and quartic couplings for the scalars in spacetime dimensions other than 4. Many properties of such theories are similar to that of conformal field theories (CFT), and in particular their 2-point functions take the same form as in CFT but with the normalisation constant now replaced by a function of the effective dimensionless coupling $g$ constructed from the dimensionful parameter and the distance separating the two operators. Such theories appear in holographic dualities involving non-conformal branes and this behaviour of the correlators has already been observed at strong coupling. Here we present a perturbative computation of the two-point function of the energy-momentum tensor to two loops in dimensions $d= 3, 5$, confirming the expected structure and determining the corresponding functions of $g$ to this order, including the effects of renormalisation. We also discuss the d=4 case for comparison. The results for $d=3$ are relevant for holographic cosmology, and in this case we also study the effect of a $\Phi^6$ coupling, which while marginal in the usual sense it is irrelevant from the perspective of the generalised conformal structure. Indeed, the effect of such coupling in the 2-point function is washed out in the IR but it modifies the UV., Comment: v2: minor improvements, version to appear in EPJC

We consider the boosted dark matter solution of the XENON1T excess to constrain the framework through loop-generated processes. The interaction of the boosted dark matter component, which sources the signal, effectively couples the cold dark matter background to the electrons, making it potentially visible in the electron recoil searches. Similarly, once the radiative corrections due to the Standard Model are taken into account, dark matter also scatters on quarks and becomes observable in nuclear recoil measurements. By analysing these processes, we find that the current direct detection constraints exclude the upper mass range selected by the anomaly if the boosted component is generated through dark matter annihilation., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures

We put forward the framework of simplified leptoquark models: simple extensions of the Standard Model that serve as benchmarks to test the interactions of leptons with new colored degrees of freedom considered, for instance, in leptoquark or grand unification models. As a first application of the scheme, we analyze the power of precision lepton observables by computing gauge invariant two-loop radiative corrections to the lepton-photon vertex, generated here by Yukawa interactions between the lepton and new colored degrees of freedom. The result, detailed in explicit expressions for the involved form factors, improves on the literature for the higher loop order considered and highlights the existence of regions in the parameter space of the model where two-loop corrections cannot be neglected., Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. Ancillary file attached: Diags.m v2: Minor changes to text and references updated. Version accepted in PRD

We study the dynamics of the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) phase transition for the QCD axion. In weakly coupled models the transition is typically second order except in the region of parameters where the PQ symmetry is broken through the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism. In strongly coupled realizations the transition is often first order. We show examples where the phase transition leads to strong supercooling lowering the nucleation temperature and enhancing the stochastic gravitational wave signals. The models predict a frequency peak in the range 100-1000 Hz with an amplitude that is already within the sensitivity of LIGO and can be thoroughly tested with future gravitational wave interferometers., Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures. v2) Refs added, typos fixed, matches JHEP version

In the context of Composite Higgs Models we consider the realisation of an extended Higgs sector with two Higgs doublets arising as pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons from a $\textrm{SO}(6) \to \textrm{SO}(4) \times \textrm{SO}(2)$ breaking. The properties of the Higgses are obtained in terms of the fundamental parameters of the composite sector, such as masses, Yukawa and gauge couplings of the new spin-1/2 and spin-1 resonances. After computing the Higgs potential from the explicit breaking of the $\textrm{SO}(6)$ global symmetry by the partial compositeness of fermions and gauge bosons, the main focus is to derive the phenomenological properties of the Higgs bosons and to highlight the main signatures of the Composite 2-Higgs Doublet Model at the Large Hadron Collider, including modifications to the SM-like Higgs couplings, production and decay channels of heavier Higgs states., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, prepared for the proceedings of EPS-HEP2019 - 10-17 July, 2019, Ghent, Belgium

We study the occurrence of a strong first-order electroweak phase transition in composite Higgs models. Minimal constructions realising this scenario are based on the coset SO(6)/SO(5) which delivers an extended Higgs sector with an additional scalar. In such models, a two-step phase transition can be obtained with the scalar singlet acquiring a vacuum expectation value at intermediate temperatures. A bonus of the Nambu-Goldstone boson nature of the scalar-sector dynamics is the presence of non-renormalisable Higgs interactions that can trigger additional sources of CP violation needed to realise baryogenesis at the electroweak scale. Another interesting aspect of this scenario is the generation of gravitational wave signatures that can be observed at future space-based interferometers., Comment: 48 pages, 8 figures, published version

In this proceedings, we discuss a light (17 MeV) $Z'$ solution to the anomaly observed in the decay of Beryllium-8 by the Atomki collaboration. We detail an anomaly free model with minimal particle content which can satisfy all other experimental constraints with gauge couplings $\mathcal{O}(10^{-4})$., Comment: Prepared for the 2019 EW session of the 54th Rencontres de Moriond, talk presented by Simon King

We consider the possibility to explain the recent $R_K$ and $R_{K ^*}$ anomalies in a 2-Higgs Doublet Model, known as Aligned, combined with a low scale seesaw mechanism generating light neutrino masses and mixings. In this class of models, a large Yukawa coupling allows for significant non-universal leptonic contributions, through box diagrams mediated by charged Higgs bosons and right-handed neutrinos, to the $b \to s \ell^+ \ell^-$ transition that can then account for both $R_K$ and $R_{K^*}$ anomalies., Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures

Particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) can generically have lifetimes that are long compared to SM particles at the weak scale. When produced at experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, these long-lived particles (LLPs) can decay far from the interaction vertex of the primary proton-proton collision. Such LLP signatures are distinct from those of promptly decaying particles that are targeted by the majority of searches for new physics at the LHC, often requiring customized techniques to identify, for example, significantly displaced decay vertices, tracks with atypical properties, and short track segments. Given their non-standard nature, a comprehensive overview of LLP signatures at the LHC is beneficial to ensure that possible avenues of the discovery of new physics are not overlooked. Here we report on the joint work of a community of theorists and experimentalists with the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments --- as well as those working on dedicated experiments such as MoEDAL, milliQan, MATHUSLA, CODEX-b, and FASER --- to survey the current state of LLP searches at the LHC, and to chart a path for the development of LLP searches into the future, both in the upcoming Run 3 and at the High-Luminosity LHC. The work is organized around the current and future potential capabilities of LHC experiments to generally discover new LLPs, and takes a signature-based approach to surveying classes of models that give rise to LLPs rather than emphasizing any particular theory motivation. We develop a set of simplified models; assess the coverage of current searches; document known, often unexpected backgrounds; explore the capabilities of proposed detector upgrades; provide recommendations for the presentation of search results; and look towards the newest frontiers, namely high-multiplicity "dark showers", highlighting opportunities for expanding the LHC reach for these signals.

This document summarizes the conclusions of the Neutrino Town Meeting held at CERN in October 2018 to review the neutrino field at large with the aim of defining a strategy for accelerator-based neutrino physics in Europe. The importance of the field across its many complementary components is stressed. Recommendations are presented regarding the accelerator based neutrino physics, pertinent to the European Strategy for Particle Physics. We address in particular i) the role of CERN and its neutrino platform, ii) the importance of ancillary neutrino cross-section experiments, and iii) the capability of fixed target experiments as well as present and future high energy colliders to search for the possible manifestations of neutrino mass generation mechanisms., Comment: 10+6 pages; Summary Document of the European Neutrino Town Meeting, Oct 22-24 at CERN; editors: Alain Blondel, Albert De Roeck, Joachim Kopp; v2: references added

We consider several extensions of the Standard Model (SM) which can explain the anomalies observed by the Atomki collaboration in the decay of excited states of Beryllium via a new boson with a mass around 17 MeV yielding $e^+e^-$ pairs. We show how both spin-0 and 1 solutions are possible and describe the Beyond the SM (BSM) scenarios that can accommodate these. They include BSM frameworks with either an enlarged Higgs, or gauge sector, or both., Comment: 26 pages, 4 figures

In the context of a gauge invariant, non-anomalous and family-dependent (non-universal) $U(1)'$ extension of the Standard Model, wherein a new high scale mechanism generates masses and couplings for the first two fermion generations and the standard Higgs mechanism does so for the third one, we find solutions to the anomaly observed by the Atomki collaboration in the decay of excited states of Beryllium, in the form of a very light $Z'$ state, stemming from the $U(1)'$ symmetry breaking, with significant axial couplings so as to evade a variety of low scale experimental constraints., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures

We consider a Composite Higgs Model (CHM) with two isospin doublet Higgs fields arising as pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons from a ${\rm SO}(6)\to {\rm SO}(4)\times {\rm SO}(2)$ breaking. The main focus of this work is to explicitly compute the properties of these Higgses in terms of the fundamental parameters of the composite sector such as masses, Yukawa and gauge couplings of the new spin-1 and spin-1/2 resonances. Concretely, we calculate the Higgs potential at one-loop level through the Coleman-Weinberg mechanism from the explicit breaking of the ${\rm SO(6)}$ global symmetry by the partial compositeness of fermions and gauge bosons. We derive then the phenomenological properties of the Higgs states and highlight the main signatures of this Composite 2-Higgs Doublet Model at the Large Hadron Collider, including modifications to the SM-like Higgs couplings as well as production and decay channels of heavier Higgs bosons. We also consider flavour bounds that are typical of CHMs with more than one Higgs doublet., Comment: 45 pages, 16 figures, version accepted for publication in JHEP

In this article we study the prospects of the proposed Large Hadron electron Collider (LHeC) in the search for heavy neutral scalar particles. We consider a minimal model with one additional complex scalar singlet that interacts with the Standard Model (SM) via mixing with the Higgs doublet, giving rise to a SM-like Higgs boson $h_1$ and a heavy scalar particle $h_2$. Both scalar particles are produced via vector boson fusion and can be tested via their decays into pairs of SM particles, analogously to the SM Higgs boson. Using multivariate techniques we show that the LHeC is sensitive to $h_2$ with masses between 200 and 800 GeV down to scalar mixing of $\sin^2 \alpha \sim 10^{-3}$.

We examine the theoretical motivations for long-lived particle (LLP) signals at the LHC in a comprehensive survey of Standard Model (SM) extensions. LLPs are a common prediction of a wide range of theories that address unsolved fundamental mysteries such as naturalness, dark matter, baryogenesis and neutrino masses, and represent a natural and generic possibility for physics beyond the SM (BSM). In most cases the LLP lifetime can be treated as a free parameter from the $\mu$m scale up to the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis limit of $\sim 10^7$m. Neutral LLPs with lifetimes above $\sim$ 100m are particularly difficult to probe, as the sensitivity of the LHC main detectors is limited by challenging backgrounds, triggers, and small acceptances. MATHUSLA is a proposal for a minimally instrumented, large-volume surface detector near ATLAS or CMS. It would search for neutral LLPs produced in HL-LHC collisions by reconstructing displaced vertices (DVs) in a low-background environment, extending the sensitivity of the main detectors by orders of magnitude in the long-lifetime regime. In this white paper we study the LLP physics opportunities afforded by a MATHUSLA-like detector at the HL-LHC. We develop a model-independent approach to describe the sensitivity of MATHUSLA to BSM LLP signals, and compare it to DV and missing energy searches at ATLAS or CMS. We then explore the BSM motivations for LLPs in considerable detail, presenting a large number of new sensitivity studies. While our discussion is especially oriented towards the long-lifetime regime at MATHUSLA, this survey underlines the importance of a varied LLP search program at the LHC in general. By synthesizing these results into a general discussion of the top-down and bottom-up motivations for LLP searches, it is our aim to demonstrate the exceptional strength and breadth of the physics case for the construction of the MATHUSLA detector., Comment: 213 pages, 73 figures. Extended Section 2 to add more detailed discussion of LLP reconstruction and analysis, and background rejection. Updated comparison of MATHUSLA RH neutrino sensitivity to other experiments. Updated analysis of long-lived ALPs produced in weak-scale processes and decaying to jets. Various clarifications, fixed typos, and added references. Results and conclusions unchanged

2-Higgs Doublet Models (2HDMs) typically need to invoke an ad-hoc discrete symmetry to avoid severe flavor bounds and in addition feature massless neutrinos, thus falling short of naturally complying with existing data. However, when augmented by an Abelian gauge symmetry naturally incorporating neutrino masses via a type-I seesaw mechanism while at the same time escaping flavor changing interactions, such enlarged 2HDMs become very attractive phenomenologically. In such frameworks, the distinctive element is the $Z'$ gauge boson generated by the spontaneous breaking of the Abelian group $U(1)_X$. In this work, we derive updated collider bounds on it. Several theoretical setups are possible, each with different and sometimes suppressed couplings to quarks and leptons. Thus, complementary data from dijet and dilepton resonance searches need to be considered to fully probe these objects. We employ the corresponding datasets as obtained at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the 13 TeV CMs energy for $\mathcal{L}=12,36$ and $300$ fb$^{-1}$ of luminosity. Moreover, we present the potential sensitivity to such $Z'$s of the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) and High Energy LHC (HE-LHC)., Comment: 13 pages, 21 figures

The $(B-L)$ Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM) motivates several Dark Matter (DM) candidates beyond the Minimally Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). We assess the comparative naturalness of the two models and discuss the potential detection properties of a particular candidate, the Right-Handed (RH) sneutrino., Comment: Prepared for proceedings for La Thuile 2018, talk by Simon King

The prevalent Dark Matter (DM) candidate of the (B-L) Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM) is the Right Handed (RH) sneutrino. In this work we assess the ability of ground and space based experiments to establish the nature of this particle, through indirect and collider detection., Comment: Prepared for proceedings for Moriond 2018, talk presented by Simon King

Supersymmetry and Compositeness are two prevalent paradigms providing both a solution to the hierarchy problem and a motivation for a light Higgs boson state. As the latter has now been found, its dynamics can hold the key to disentangle the two theories. An open door towards the solution is found in the context of 2-Higgs Doublet Models (2HDMs), which are necessary to Supersymmetry and natural within Compositeness in order to enable Electro-Weak Symmetry Breaking. We show how 2HDM spectra of masses and couplings accessible at the Large Hadron Collider may allow one to separate the two scenarios., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, comments added, figures updated, published version

In the framework of the $(B-L)$ Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM), we assess the ability of ground and space based experiments to establish the nature of its prevalent Dark Matter (DM) candidate, the sneutrino, which could either be CP-even or -odd. Firstly, by benchmarking this theory construct against the results obtained by the Planck spacecraft, we extract the portions of the BLSSM parameter space compliant with relic density data. Secondly, we show that, based on current sensitivities of the Fermi Large Area Telescope (FermiLAT) and their future projections, the study of high-energy $\gamma$-ray spectra will eventually enable us to extract evidence of this DM candidate through its annihilations into $W^+W^-$ pairs (in turn emitting photons), in the form of both an integrated flux and a differential energy spectrum which cannot be reconciled with the assumption of DM being fermionic (like, e.g., a neutralino), although it should not be possible to distinguish between the scalar and pseudoscalar hypotheses. Thirdly, we show that, while underground direct detection experiments will have little scope in testing sneutrino DM, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) may be able to do so in a variety of multi-lepton signatures, with and without accompanying jets (plus missing transverse energy), following data collection during Run 2 and 3., Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures

We investigate how the Fine-Tuning (FT) in the B-L Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM) compares to the Minimally Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), where both models have universality. This is done for two scales: both low (i.e. collider) and high (i.e. Grand Unified Theory (GUT)) scales. We see this is similar for both models and the two scale regimes. We also study the possible Dark Matter (DM) candidates each model offers in a realistic scenario satisfying relic density constraints. Our findings are that whilst the parameter space for the single MSSM DM candidate is severely constrained, the BLSSM offers multiple candidates in a much wider region., Comment: Prepared for proceedings for EPS-HEP 2017, talk presented by Simon King

We consider an extension of the Standard Model with an extra gauged $U(1)'$ symmetry in presence of a 2-Higgs Doublet Model structure of the scalar sector. We show that this scenario is able to explain the anomaly observed by the Atomki collaboration in the decay of an excited state of Beryllium via a light spin-1 $Z'$ with a mass of 17 MeV., Comment: Prepared for proceedings of EPS-HEP 2017, European Physical Society conference on High Energy Physics, 5-12 July 2017, Venice, Italy

In this paper, we discuss the potential of observing heavy neutrino ($\nu_h$) signatures of a $U(1)_{B-L}$ enlarged Standard Model (SM) encompassing three heavy Majorana neutrinos alongside the known light neutrino states at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We exploit the theoretical decay via a pair of heavy (non-SM-like) Higgs boson and $Z'$ production followed by $\nu_h \rightarrow l^\pm W^{\mp (*)}$ and $\nu_h \rightarrow \nu_l Z^{(*)}$ decays, ultimately yielding a $3l+2j+E_{T}^{\rm{miss}}$ signature and, depending upon how boosted the final state objects are, we define different possible selections aimed at improving the signal to background ratio in LHC Run 2 data for a wide range of heavy neutrino masses., Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1612.05977

In this report, we compare the naturalness and Dark Matter (DM) properties of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) and the $B-L$ Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM), with universality in both cases. We do this by adopting standard measures for the quantitative analysis of the Fine-Tuning (FT), at both low (i.e. supersymmetric (SUSY)) and high (i.e. unification) scales. We will see a similar level of FT for both models in these scenarios, with a slightly better FT for the BLSSM at SUSY scales and MSSM at Grand Unification Theory (GUT) scales. When including DM relic constraints, we drastically confine the MSSM's parameter space, whereas we still find a large parameter space available for the non-minimal scenario., Comment: Prepared for proceedings for DIS2017, talk presented by Simon King

Motivated by an anomaly observed in the decay of an excited state of Beryllium by the Atomki collaboration, we study an extension of the Standard Model with a gauged $U(1)'$ symmetry in presence of a 2-Higgs Doublet Model structure of the Higgs sector. We show that this scenario complies with a variety of experimental results and is able to explain the potential presence of a resonant spin-1 gauge boson, $Z'$, with a mass of 17 MeV in the Atomki experimental data, for appropriate choices of $U(1)'$ charges and Yukawa interactions., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, published version

We study the naturalness properties of the $B-L$ Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM) and compare them to those of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) at both low (i.e., Large Hadron Collider) energies and high (i.e., unification) scales. By adopting standard measures of naturalness, we assess that, in presence of full unification of the additional gauge couplings and scalar/fermionic masses of the BLSSM, such a scenario reveals a somewhat higher degree of Fine-Tuning (FT) than the MSSM, when the latter is computed at the unification scale and all available theoretical and experimental constraints, but the Dark Matter (DM) ones, are taken into account. Yet, such a difference, driven primarily by the collider limits requiring a high mass for the gauge boson associated to the breaking of the additional $U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge group of the BLSSM in addition to the $SU(3)_C\times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y$ of the MSSM, should be regarded as a modest price to pay for the former in relation to the latter, if one notices that the non-minimal scenario offers a significant volume of parameter space where numerous DM solutions of different compositions can be found to the relic density constraints, unlike the case of the minimal structure, wherein only one type of solution is accessible over an ever diminishing parameter space. In fact, this different level of tension within the two SUSY models in complying with current data is well revealed when the FT measure is recomputed in terms of the low energy spectra of the two models, over their allowed regions of parameter space now in presence of all DM bounds, as it is shown that the tendency is now opposite, the BLSSM appearing more natural than the MSSM., Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures

We study the high-energy behaviour of a class of anomaly-free abelian extensions of the Standard Model. We focus on the interplay among the phenomenological characterisation of the model and the use of precise renormalisation group methods. Using as boundary conditions regions of the parameter space at the verge of current LHC probe, interesting unification patterns emerge linked to thresholds belonging to a SO(10) grand unification theory (GUT). We stress how the evolution of the mixing between the two abelian factors may provide a valuable tool to address the candidate high-energy embedding. The emerging unification scenarios are then challenged to be perturbative and to allow for a stable vacuum., Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures

We consider a class of minimal abelian extensions of the Standard Model with an extra neutral gauge boson $Z'$ at the TeV scale. In these scenarios an extended scalar sector and heavy right-handed neutrinos are naturally envisaged. We present some of their striking signatures at the Large Hadron Collider, the most interesting arising from a $Z'$ decaying to heavy neutrino pairs as well as a heavy scalar decaying to two Standard Model Higgses. Using renormalisation group methods, we characterise the high energy behaviours of these extensions and exploit the constraints imposed by the embedding into a wider GUT scenario., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Reference list updated. Contribution to the proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on QCD - Theory and Experiment (QCD@Work 2016), 27-30 Jun 2016. Martina Franca, Italy

We test a class of holographic models for the very early universe against cosmological observations and find that they are competitive to the standard $\Lambda$CDM model of cosmology. These models are based on three dimensional perturbative super-renormalizable Quantum Field Theory (QFT), and while they predict a different power spectrum from the standard power-law used in $\Lambda$CDM, they still provide an excellent fit to data (within their regime of validity). By comparing the Bayesian evidence for the models, we find that $\Lambda$CDM does a better job globally, while the holographic models provide a (marginally) better fit to data without very low multipoles (i.e. $l\lesssim 30$), where the dual QFT becomes non-perturbative. Observations can be used to exclude some QFT models, while we also find models satisfying all phenomenological constraints: the data rules out the dual theory being Yang-Mills theory coupled to fermions only, but allows for Yang-Mills theory coupled to non-minimal scalars with quartic interactions. Lattice simulations of 3d QFT's can provide non-perturbative predictions for large-angle statistics of the cosmic microwave background, and potentially explain its apparent anomalies., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; v2: version to appear in PRL