arXiv subjects

A. Brignole

Publications and source records attributed to A. Brignole.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2005

Phenomenology of a Fluxed MSSM

We analyze the phenomenology of a set of minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) soft terms inspired by flux-induced supersymmetry (SUSY)-breaking in Type IIB string orientifolds. The scheme is extremely constrained with essentially only two free mass parameters: a parameter M, which sets the scale of soft terms, and the mu parameter. After imposing consistent radiative electro-weak symmetry breaking (EWSB) the model depends upon one mass parameter (say, M). In spite of being so constrained one finds consistency with EWSB conditions. We demonstrate that those conditions have two solutions for mu<0, and none for mu>0. The parameter tan beta results as a prediction and is approximately 3-5 for one solution, and 25-40 for the other, depending upon M and the top mass. We examine further constraints on the model coming from b->s gamma, the muon g-2, Higgs mass limits and WMAP constraints on dark matter. The MSSM spectrum is predicted in terms of the single free parameter M. The low tan beta branch is consistent with a relatively light spectrum although it is compatible with standard cosmology only if the lightest neutralino is unstable. The high tan beta branch is compatible with all phenomenological constraints, but has quite a heavy spectrum. We argue that the fine-tuning associated to this heavy spectrum would be substantially ameliorated if an additional relationship mu=-2M were present in the underlying theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Low-scale supersymmetry breaking: effective description, electroweak breaking and phenomenology

We consider supersymmetric scenarios in which the scale of SUSY breaking is low, sqrt{F}=O(TeV). Instead of studying specific models of this type, e.g. those with extra dimensions and low fundamental scale, we follow a model-independent approach based on a general effective Lagrangian, in which the MSSM supermultiplets are effectively coupled to a singlet associated to SUSY breaking. Our goal is to analyse the interplay bewteen SUSY breaking and electroweak breaking, generalizing earlier results. The conventional MSSM picture can be substantially modified, mainly because the Higgs potential contains additional effective quartic terms and resembles that of two-Higgs-doublet models, with an additional singlet. Novel opportunities to achieve electroweak breaking arise, and the electroweak scale may be obtained in a less fine-tuned way. Also the Higgs spectrum can be strikingly changed, and the lightest state can be much heavier than in usual supersymmetric scenarios. Other effects appear in the chargino and neutralino sectors, which contain the goldstino. Finally, we discuss the role of electroweak breaking in processes in which two goldstinos could be emitted, such as fermion-antifermion annihilation and the invisible decay of a Z boson or of neutral Higgs bosons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

On the two-loop sbottom corrections to the neutral Higgs boson masses in the MSSM

We compute the O(ab*as) two-loop corrections to the neutral Higgs boson masses in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, using the effective potential approach. Such corrections can be important in the region of parameter space corresponding to tan(beta)>>1 and sizeable mu. In spite of the formal analogy with the O(at*as) corrections, there are important differences, since the dominant effects are controlled by the sbottom-Higgs scalar couplings. We propose a convenient renormalization scheme that avoids unphysically large threshold effects associated with the bottom mass, and absorbs the bulk of the O(ab*as + ab*at) corrections into the one-loop expression. We give general explicit formulae for the O(ab*as) corrections to the neutral Higgs boson mass matrix. We also discuss the importance of the O(ab^2) corrections and derive a formula for their contribution to mh in a simple limiting case.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Report of the Beyond the MSSM Subgroup for the Tevatron Run II SUSY/Higgs Workshop

There are many low-energy models of supersymmetry breaking parameters which are motivated by theoretical and experimental considerations. Here, we discuss some of the lesser-known theories of low-energy supersymmetry, and outline their phenomenological consequences. In some cases, these theories have more gauge symmetry or particle content than the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. In other cases, the parameters of the Lagrangian are unusual compared to commonly accepted norms (e.g., Wino LSP, heavy gluino LSP, light gluino, etc.). The phenomenology of supersymmetry varies greatly between the different models. Correspondingly, particular aspects of the detectors assume greater or lesser importance. Detection of supersymmetry and the determination of all parameters may well depend upon having the widest possible view of supersymmetry phenomenology.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Signals of a superlight gravitino at hadron colliders when the other superparticles are heavy

If the gravitino (G) is very light and all the other supersymmetric particles are above threshold, supersymmetry may still be found at colliders, by looking at processes with only gravitinos and ordinary particles in the final state. We compute here the cross-sections for some distinctive signals at hadron colliders: photon plus missing energy, induced by (q antiquark -> G G photon), and jet plus missing energy, induced by (q antiquark -> G G g), (q g -> G G q), and (g g -> G G g). From the present Tevatron data, we estimate the bound m_{3/2} > 2.3 10^-5 eV on the gravitino mass, corresponding to the bound sqrt{F} > 310 GeV on the supersymmetry-breaking scale. We foresee that the upgraded Tevatron and the LHC will be sensitive to values of m_{3/2} up to 4.0 10^-5 eV and 6.2 10^-4 eV, corresponding to sqrt{F} up to 410 GeV and 1.6 TeV, respectively.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Soft supersymmetry-breaking terms from supergravity and superstring models

We review the origin of soft supersymmetry-breaking terms in N=1 supergravity models of particle physics. We first consider general formulae for those terms in general models with a hidden sector breaking supersymmetry at an intermediate energy scale. The results for some simple models are given. We then consider the results obtained in some simple superstring models in which particular assumptions about the origin of supersymmetry breaking are made. These are models in which the seed of supersymmetry breaking is assumed to be originated in the dilaton/moduli sector of the theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Some issues in soft SUSY-breaking terms from dilaton/moduli sectors

We study the structure of the soft SUSY-breaking terms obtained from some classes of 4-D strings under the assumption of dilaton/moduli dominance in the process of SUSY-breaking. We generalize previous analysis in several ways and in particular consider the new features appearing when several moduli fields contribute to SUSY breaking (instead of an overall modulus $T$). Some qualitative features indeed change in the multimoduli case.A general discussion for symmetric Abelian orbifolds as well as explicit examples are given. Certain general sum-rules involving soft terms of different particles are shown to apply to large classes of models. Unlike in the overall modulus $T$ case, gauginos may be lighter than scalars even at the tree-level. However, if one insists in getting that pattern of soft terms, these sum rules force some of the scalars to get negative mass$^2$. These tachyonic masses could be a problem for standard model 4-D strings but an advantage in the case of string-GUTs.We also discuss the possible effects of off-diagonal metrics for the matter fields which may give rise to flavour-changing neutral currents. Different sources for the bilinear $B$ soft term are studied. It is found that the Giudice-Masiero mechanism for generating a ``$μ$-term'', as naturally implemented in orbifolds, leads to the prediction $|tgβ|=1$ at the string scale, independently of the Goldstino direction.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Orbifold-induced $μ$ term and electroweak symmetry breaking

It is known that a Higgs $μ$ term can be naturally generated through the Kähler potential in orbifold string models in which one of the three compactified complex planes has order two. In this class of models explicit expressions for both the $μ$ parameter and the soft SUSY-breaking parameters can be obtained under the assumption that the goldstino is an arbitrary linear combination of the fermionic partners of the dilaton $S$ and all the moduli $T_i,U_i$. We apply this picture to the MSSM and explore the consistency of the obtained boundary conditions with radiative gauge symmetry breaking. We find that consistency with the measured value of the top-quark mass can only be achieved if the goldstino has a negligible dilatino component and relevant components along the $T_3,U_3$ moduli associated to the order-two complex plane.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1995

Towards a Theory of Soft Terms for the Supersymmetric Standard Model

We perform a systematic analysis of the soft supersymmetry-breaking terms arising from four-dimensional strings. The analysis does not assume any specific supersymmetry-breaking mechanism but provides a means of parametrizing our ignorance in a way consistent with some known properties of four-dimensional strings. We introduce a {\it goldstino angle} parameter $θ$ which says where the source of supersymmetry-breaking resides, either predominantly in the dilaton sector ($sin θ=1$ limit) or in the rest of the chiral fieds, notably the moduli ($sinθ=0$ limit). All formulae for soft parameters take particularly simple forms when written in terms of this angle. The $sinθ=1$ limit is (up to small corrections) universal. As $sinθ$ decreases, the model dependence increases and the resulting soft terms may or may not be universal, depending on the model. General expressions for the soft terms as functions of $θ$ for generic four-dimensional strings are provided. For each {\it given} string model, one trades the four soft parameters ($M,m,A,B$) of the minimal supersymmetric standard model by the two parameters $m_{3/2}$ (gravitino mass) and $sinθ$. The role of complex phases and the associated constraints from limits on the electric dipole moment of the neutron are discussed. It is also emphasized the importance of treating the problem of the cosmological constant in a self-consistent manner.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1994

Supersymmetry and SU(2)xU(1) breaking with naturally vanishing vacuum energy

We show how the spontaneous breaking of local N=1 supersymmetry and of the SU(2)xU(1) gauge symmetry can be simultaneously realized, with naturally vanishing tree-level vacuum energy, in superstring effective supergravities. Both the gravitino mass m_{3/2} and the electroweak scale m_Z are classically undetermined, and slide along moduli directions that include the Higgs flat direction |H_1^0| = |H_2^0|. There are important differences with conventional supergravity models: the goldstino has components along the higgsino direction; SU(2) x U(1) breaking occurs already at the classical level; the scales m_{3/2} and m_Z, the gauge couplings, the lightest Higgs mass and the cosmological constant are entirely determined by quantum corrections.

hep-th↗

arXiv1993

Aspects of the electroweak phase transition in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We study the finite-temperature effective potential of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model in the full (mA, tan(beta)) parameter space. As for the features of the electroweak phase transition, we identify two possible sources of significant differences with respect to the Standard Model: a stop sector with little supersymmetry breaking makes the phase transition more strongly first-order, whereas a light CP-odd neutral boson weakens its first-order nature. After including the leading plasma effects, T=0 radiative corrections due to top and stop loops, and the most important experimental constraints, we find that the danger of washing out any baryon asymmetry created at the electroweak scale is in general no less than in the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1992

Radiative corrections to the decay H==>hh in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We set up a suitable renormalization programme for the one-loop computation of the decay rate Gamma(H==>hh) in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. We then perform an explicit diagrammatic calculation, including the full contributions from top, bottom, stop and sbottom loops. We find that, for tan(beta) close to 1, and m_H greater than or approximately equal to 2 m_t, the results can significantly differ from those previously obtained in the effective potential approach. However, the latter method remains a good approximation in the region of parameter space which is most relevant for H searches at large hadron colliders.

hep-ph↗