New Physics in $b \to s \mu \mu$: FCC-hh or a Muon Collider?

Abstract

Rare flavour-changing neutral-current transitions $b \to s \mu^+ \mu^-$ probe higher energy scales than what is directly accessible at the LHC. Therefore, the presence of new physics in such transitions, as suggested by the present-day LHCb anomalies, would have a major impact on the motivation and planning of future high-energy colliders. The two most prominent options currently debated are a proton-proton collider at 100 TeV (FCC-hh) and a multi-TeV muon collider (MuC). In this work, we compare the discovery prospects at these colliders on benchmark new physics models indirectly detectable in $b \to s \mu^+ \mu^-$ decays but beyond the reach of the high-$p_T$ searches at the HL-LHC. We consider a comprehensive set of scenarios: semileptonic contact interactions, $Z^\prime$ from a gauged $U(1)_{B_3 - L_\mu}$ and $U(1)_{L_\mu - L_\tau}$, the scalar leptoquark $S_3$, and the vector leptoquark $U_1$. We find that a 3 TeV MuC has a sensitivity reach comparable to the one of the FCC-hh. However, for a heavy enough mediator, the new physics effects at a 3 TeV MuC are only observed indirectly via deviations in the highest energy bin, while the FCC-hh has a greater potential for the discovery of a resonance. Finally, to completely cover the parameter space suggested by the $bs\mu\mu$ anomalies, among the proposed future colliders, only a MuC of 10 TeV (or higher) can meet the challenge.