arXiv subjects

Adam Martin

Publications and source records attributed to Adam Martin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

LHC Constraints on a $(B-L)_3$ Gauge Boson

In this paper, we explore the constraints that the LHC can place on a massive gauge boson $X$ that predominantly couples to the third generation of fermions. Such a gauge boson arises in scenarios where the $B-L$ of the third generation is gauged. We focus on the mass range $10 \leq m_X \lesssim 2\,m_W$, where current constraints are lacking, and develop a dedicated search strategy. For this mass range, we show that $b \bar b τ^+ τ^-$, where at least one of the $τ$s decay leptonically is the optimal channel to look for the $X$ at the LHC. The QCD production of $b$ quarks, combined with the cleanliness of the leptons coming from the decay of the $τ$ allow us to detect $X$ gauge boson with couplings of $g_X \sim(0.005-0.01)$, for $m_X < 50 \ \text{GeV}$, and a coupling of $O(0.1)$ for heavier $X$ gauge boson with $100 \ \text{fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. This is about a factor of 2-10 improvement over previous constraints coming from the decay of $Υ\to τ^+ τ^-$. Extrapolating to the full HL-LHC luminosity of $3000 \ \text{fb}^{-1}$, the bounds on $g_X$ can be enhanced by another factor of $\sqrt{2}$ for $m_X < 50 \ \text{GeV}$.

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arXiv2019

Higgsino Dark Matter in an economical Scherk-Schwarz setup

We consider a minimal natural supersymmetric model based on an extra dimension with supersymmetry breaking provided by the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism. The lightest supersymmetric particle is a neutral, quasi-Dirac Higgsino and, unlike in previous studies, we assume that all Standard Model fields are propagating in the bulk. The resulting setup is minimal, as neither extra matter, effective operators, nor extra $U(1)$ groups are needed in order to be viable. The model has three free parameters which are fixed by the Higgsino mass -- set to the range 1.1-1.2 TeV so it can play the role of Dark Matter, and by the requirements of correct electroweak breaking and the mass of the Higgs. After imposing the previous conditions we find a benchmark scenario that passes all experimental constrains with an allowed range for the supersymmetric parameters. In particular we have found gluinos in the range 2.0-2.1 TeV mass, electroweakinos and sleptons almost degenerate in the range 1.7-1.9 TeV and squarks degenerate in the range 1.9-2.0 TeV. The best discovery prospects are: i.) gluino detection at the high luminosity LHC ($\gtrsim 3\, \text{ab}^{-1}$), and ii.) Higgsino detection at next-generation dark matter direct detection experiments. The model is natural, as the fine-tuning for the fixed values of the parameters is moderate mainly because supersymmetry breaking parameters contribute linearly to the Higgs mass parameter, rather than quadratically as in most models.

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arXiv2018

Dark Mesons at the LHC

A new, strongly-coupled dark sector could be accessible to LHC searches now. These dark sectors consist of composites formed from constituents that are charged under the electroweak group and interact with the Higgs, but are neutral under Standard Model color. In these scenarios, the most promising target is the dark meson sector, consisting of dark vector-mesons as well as dark pions. In this paper we study dark meson production and decay at the LHC in theories that preserve a global SU(2) dark flavor symmetry. Dark pions can be pair-produced through resonant dark vector meson production, $p p\toρ_D\toπ_Dπ_D$, and decay in one of two distinct ways: gaugephobic, when $π_D\to f\bar{f}'$ generally dominates; or gaugephilic, when $π_D\to W+h,Z+h$ dominates once kinematically open. Unlike QCD, the decay $π^0_D\toγγ$ is virtually absent due to the dark flavor symmetry. We recast a vast set of LHC searches to determine the current constraints on dark meson production and decay. When $m_{ρ_D}$ is slightly heavier than $2 m_{π_D}$ and $ρ_D^{\pm,0}$ kinetically mixes with the weak gauge bosons, the 8 TeV same-sign lepton search strategy sets the best bound, $m_{π_D}>500$ GeV. Yet, when only the $ρ^0_D$ kinetically mixes with hypercharge, we find the strongest LHC bound is $m_{π_D}>130$ GeV, that is only slightly better than what LEP II achieved. We find the relative insensitivity of LHC searches, especially at 13 TeV, can be blamed mainly on their penchant for high mass objects or large MET. Dedicated searches would undoubtedly yield substantially improved sensitivity. We provide a GitHub page to speed the implementation of these searches in future LHC analyses. Our findings provide a strong motivation for model-independent searches of the form $pp\to A\to B+C\to SM\, SM+SM\, SM$ where the theoretical prejudice is for SM to be a t,b,$τ$ or W,Z,h.

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arXiv2018

Effective Theories of Dark Mesons with Custodial Symmetry

Dark mesons are bosonic composites of a new, strongly-coupled sector beyond the Standard Model. We consider several dark sectors with fermions that transform under the electroweak group, as arise from a variety of models including strongly-coupled theories of dark matter (e.g., stealth dark matter), bosonic technicolor (strongly-coupled indcued electroweak symmetry breaking), vector-like confinement, etc. We consider theories with two and four flavors under an $SU(N)$ strong group that acquire variously chiral, vector-like, and mixed contributions to their masses. We construct the non-linear sigma model describing the dark pions and match the ultraviolet theory onto a low energy effective theory that provides the leading interactions of the lightest dark pions with the Standard Model. We uncover two distinct classes of effective theories that are distinguishable by how the lightest dark pions decay: "Gaugephilic": where $π^0 \rightarrow Z h$, $π^\pm \rightarrow W h$ dominate once kinematically open, and "Gaugephobic": where $π^0 \rightarrow \bar{f} f$, $π^\pm \rightarrow \bar{f}' f$ dominate. Custodial $SU(2)$ plays a critical role in determining the "philic" or "phobic" nature of a model. In dark sectors that preserve custodial $SU(2)$, there is no axial anomaly, and so the decay $π^0 \rightarrow γγ$ is highly suppressed. In a companion paper, we study dark pion production and decay at colliders, obtaining the constraints and sensitivity at the LHC.

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arXiv2018

On the impact of dimension-eight SMEFT operators on Higgs measurements

Using the production of a Higgs boson in association with a $W$ boson as a test case, we assess the impact of dimension-8 operators within the context of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory. Dimension-8--SM-interference and dimension-6-squared terms appear at the same order in an expansion in $1/Λ$, hence dimension-8 effects can be treated as a systematic uncertainty on the new physics inferred from analyses using dimension-6 operators alone. To study the phenomenological consequences of dimension-8 operators, one must first determine the complete set of operators that can contribute to a given process. We accomplish this through a combination of Hilbert series methods, which yield the number of invariants and their field content, and a step-by-step recipe to convert the Hilbert series output into a phenomenologically useful format. The recipe we provide is general and applies to any other process within the dimension $\le 8$ Standard Model Effective Theory. We quantify the effects of dimension-8 by turning on one dimension-6 operator at a time and setting all dimension-8 operator coefficients to the same magnitude. Under this procedure and given the current accuracy on $σ(pp \to h\,W^+)$, we find the effect of dimension-8 operators on the inferred new physics scale to be small, $\mathcal O(\text{few}\,\%)$, with some variation depending on the relative signs of the dimension-8 coefficients and on which dimension-6 operator is considered. The impact of the dimension-8 terms grows as $σ(pp \to h\,W^+)$ is measured more accurately or (more significantly) in high-mass kinematic regions. We provide a FeynRules implementation of our operator set to be used for further more detailed analyses.

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arXiv2018

Digging for Top Squarks from Higgs data: from signal strengths to differential distributions

One way to hunt for top squarks is to look for deviations from the Standard Model in loop level processes involving Higgses. This method is indirect, but complementary to direct searches as it does not rely on specific top squark decays. Studying inclusive Higgs production $pp \to h$ alone is insufficient, since there are parameter regions where the effects of the two top squarks approximately cancel. This degeneracy can be broken by looking at the rate for highly boosted Higgses recoiling against a jet, $pp \to h + \text{jet}$. In this paper we perform a detailed study of the complementarity of the inclusive and highly boosted processes at the LHC, both in existing Run 1 and Run 2 data, and looking forward to high luminosity. To break the degeneracy, our calculation must maintain the full mass dependence in the loop functions and therefore cannot be recast in an effective field theory framework. We quantify the dependence of both topologies in the top squark parameter space, and outline which levels of experimental and theoretical understanding would be needed for boosted Higgses to be competitive with inclusive Higgs production.

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arXiv2018

Hunting leptoquarks in monolepton searches

We show that stringent limits on leptoquarks that couple to first-generation quarks and left-handed electrons or muons can be derived from the spectral shape of the charged-current Drell-Yan process ($p p \to \ell^\pm ν$) at Run 2 of the LHC. We identify and examine all six leptoquark species that can generate such a monolepton signal, including both scalar and vector leptoquarks, and find cases where the leptoquark exchange interferes constructively, destructively or not at all with the Standard Model signal. When combined with the corresponding leptoquark-mediated neutral-current ($p p \to \ell^+ \ell^-$) process, we find the most stringent limits obtained to date, outperforming bounds from pair production and atomic parity violation. We show that, with 3000 fb$^{-1}$ of data, combined measurements of the transverse mass in $p p \to \ell^\pm ν$ events and invariant mass in $p p \to \ell^+ \ell^-$ events can probe masses between 8 TeV and 18 TeV, depending on the species of leptoquark, for electroweak-sized couplings. In light of such robust sensitivities, we strongly encourage the LHC experiments to interpret Drell-Yan (dilepton and monolepton) events in terms of leptoquarks, alongside usual scenarios like $Z'$ bosons and contact interactions.

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arXiv2018

Constraining the $R$-symmetric chargino NLSP at the LHC

We present a phenomenological study of Dirac electroweakinos in a $U(1)_R$ extension of the MSSM with a strictly $R$-symmetric Higgs sector (MRSSM) and gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. One of the distinguishing features of the MRSSM is that the lightest chargino can be lighter than the lightest neutralino. Decays from the NLSP chargino to the gravitino LSP will produce exotic signals. We apply LHC-13 mass limits from both prompt and long-lived searches to the chargino NLSP regime of the MRSSM. Imposing the additional constraints coming from the 125 GeV Higgs and from the electroweak sector, regions of the parameter space are found where the gravitino LSP, chargino NLSP scenario survives all current bounds. We also show that the fine-tuning of the model can reach a level slightly better than sub-percent with our choice of parameters.

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arXiv2018

Charting generalized supersoft supersymmetry

Without any shred of evidence for new physics from LHC, the last hiding spots of natural electroweak supersymmetry seem to lie either in compressed spectra or in spectra where scalars are suppressed with respect to the gauginos. While in the MSSM (or in any theory where supersymmetry is broken by the $F$-vev of a chiral spurion), a hierarchy between scalar and gaugino masses requires special constructions, it is automatic in scenarios where supersymmetry is broken by $D$-vev of a real spurion. In the latter framework, gaugino mediated contributions to scalar soft masses are finite (loop suppressed but not $\log$-enhanced), a feature often referred to as "supersoftness". Though phenomenologically attractive, pure supersoft models suffer from the $μ$-problem, potential color-breaking minima, large $T$-parameter, etc. These problems can be overcome without sacrificing the model's virtues by departing from pure supersoftness and including $μ$-type operators that use the same $D$-vev, a framework known as generalized supersoft supersymmetry. The main purpose of this paper is to point out that the new operators also solve the last remaining issue associated with supersoft spectra, namely that a right handed (RH) slepton is predicted to be the lightest superpartner, rendering the setup cosmologically unfeasible. In particular, we show that the $μ$-operators in generalized supersoft generate a new source for scalar masses, which can raise the RH-slepton mass above bino due to corrections from renormalisation group evolutions (RGEs). In fact, a mild tuning can open up the bino--RH slepton coannihilation regime for a thermal dark matter. We derive the full set of RGEs required to determine the spectrum at low energies. Beginning with input conditions at a high scale, we show that completely viable spectra can be achieved.

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arXiv2017

Characterizing dark matter at the LHC in Drell-Yan events

Spectral features in LHC dileptonic events may signal radiative corrections coming from new degrees of freedom, notably dark matter and mediators. Using simplified models, we show how these features can reveal the fundamental properties of the dark sector, such as self-conjugation, spin and mass of dark matter, and the quantum numbers of the mediator. Distributions of both the invariant mass $m_{\ell \ell}$ and the Collins-Soper scattering angle $cosθ_{CS}$ are studied to pinpoint these properties. We derive constraints on the models from LHC measurements of $m_{\ell \ell}$ and $cosθ_{CS}$, which are competitive with direct detection and jets + Missing Energy searches. We find that in certain scenarios the $cosθ_{CS}$ spectrum provides the strongest bounds, underlying the importance of scattering angle measurements for non-resonant new physics.

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arXiv2017

Using the (Modified) Matrix Element Method to constrain $L_μ- L_τ$ Interactions

In this paper, we explore the discriminatory power of the matrix element method (MEM) in constraining the $L_μ-L_τ$ model at the LHC. The $Z'$ gauge boson associated with the spontaneously broken $U(1)_{L_μ-L_τ}$ symmetry only interacts with the second and third generation of leptons at tree level, and is thus difficult to produce at the LHC. We argue that the best channels for discovering this $Z'$ are in $Z \to 4μ$ and $2μ+\displaystyle{\not}E_T$. Both these channels have a large number of kinematic observables, which strongly motivates the usage of a multivariate technique. The MEM is a multivariate analysis that uses the squared matrix element to quantify the likelihood of the testing hypotheses. We find that with $300 \, \text{fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity, we are sensitive to the couplings of $ g_{Z'} \gtrsim 0.002 ~ g_1$ and $M_{Z'} < 20 \text{ GeV}$, and $g_{Z'} \gtrsim 0.005 g_1$ and $20\, \text{GeV} <M_{Z'} < 40 ~ \text{GeV}$, which is about an order of magnitude improvement over the cut-and-count method for the same amount of data.

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arXiv2017

The Inelastic Frontier: Discovering Dark Matter at High Recoil Energy

There exist well motivated models of particle dark matter which predominantly scatter inelastically off nuclei in direct detection experiments. This inelastic transition causes the DM to up-scatter in terrestrial experiments into an excited state up to 550 keV heavier than the DM itself. An inelastic transition of this size is highly suppressed by both kinematics and nuclear form factors. We extend previous studies of inelastic DM to determine the present bounds on the scattering cross section, and the prospects for improvements in sensitivity. Three scenarios provide illustrative examples: nearly pure Higgsino DM; magnetic inelastic DM; and inelastic models with dark photon exchange. We determine the elastic scattering rate as well as verify that exothermic transitions are negligible. Presently, the strongest bounds on the cross section are from xenon at LUX-PandaX (δ< 160 keV), iodine at PICO (160 < δ< 300 keV), and tungsten at CRESST (when δ> 300 keV). Amusingly, once δ> 200 keV, weak scale (and larger) DM - nucleon scattering cross sections are allowed. The relative competitiveness of these experiments is governed by the upper bound on the recoil energies employed by each experiment, as well as strong sensitivity to the mass of the heaviest element in the detector. Several implications, including sizable recoil energy-dependent annual modulation, and improvements for future experiments are discussed. We show that the xenon experiments can improve on the PICO results, if they were to analyze their existing data over a larger range of recoil energies, i.e., 20-500 keV. We also speculate about several reported events at CRESST between 45-100 keV, that could be interpreted as inelastic DM scattering. Future data from PICO, CRESST and xenon experiments can test this with anaylses of high energy recoil data.

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arXiv2016

Extending the Reach of Compressed Gluinos at the LHC

Conventional supersymmetry searches rely on large missing momentum and, on that account, are unsuitable for discovering superpartners nearly degenerate with the LSP. Such "compressed regions" are best probed by dedicated strategies that exploit their unique kinematic features. We consider a case study of a compressed gluino-bino simplified spectrum, motivated by its ability to set the dark matter relic abundance via co-annihilation. A kinematic variable suited to this spectrum is introduced, by which, for a gluino-bino mass splitting of 100 GeV, the discovery reach is extendable to m(gluino) = 850 GeV (1370 GeV) at LHC center-of-mass energy 8 TeV (13 TeV) with luminosity 20 inverse fb (3000 inverse fb). The non-trivial role played by soft triggers is also discussed.

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arXiv2016

A UV complete partially composite-pNGB Higgs

We explore an electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) scenario based on the mixture of a fundamental Higgs doublet and an SU(4)/Sp(4) composite pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone doublet -- a particular manifestation of bosonic technicolor/induced EWSB. Taking the fundamental Higgs mass parameter to be positive, EWSB is triggered by the mixing of the doublets. This setup has several attractive features and phenomenological consequences, which we highlight: i) Unlike traditional bosonic technicolor models, the hierarchy between $Λ_{\rm TC}$ and the electroweak scale depends on vacuum (mis)alignment and can be sizable, yielding an attractive framework for natural EWSB; ii) As the strong sector is based on SU(4)/Sp(4), a fundamental (UV-complete) description of the strong sector is possible, that is informed by the lattice; iii) The lightest vector resonances occur in the 10-plet, 5-plet and singlet of Sp(4). Misalignment leads to a 10-plet "parity-doubling" cancelation in the $S$ parameter, and a suppressed 5-plet contribution; iv) Higgs coupling deviations are typically of $\mathcal O(1\%)$; v) The 10-plet isotriplet resonances decay dominantly to a massive technipion and a gauge boson, or to technipion pairs, rather than to gauge boson or fermion pairs; moreover, their couplings to fermions are small. Thus, the bounds on this setup from conventional heavy-vector-triplet searches are weak. A supersymmetric $U(1)_R$ symmetric realization is briefly described.

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arXiv2016

Low Scale Inflation at High Energy Colliders and Meson Factories

Inflation occurring at energy densities less than (10$^{14}$ GeV)$^4$ produces tensor perturbations too small to be measured by cosmological surveys. However, we show that it is possible to probe low scale inflation by measuring the mass of the inflaton at low energy experiments. Detection prospects and cosmological constraints are determined for low scale quartic hilltop models of inflation paired with a curvaton field, which imprints the spectrum of scalar perturbations observed in large scale structure and on the cosmic microwave background. With cosmological constraints applied, low scale quartic inflation at energies GeV--PeV, can be mapped to an MeV--TeV mass inflaton resonance, discoverable through a Higgs portal coupling at upcoming collider and meson decay experiments. It is demonstrated that low scale inflatons can have detectably large couplings to Standard Model particles through a Higgs portal, permitting prompt reheating after inflation, without spoiling, through radiative corrections to the inflaton's self-coupling, the necessary flatness of a low scale inflationary potential. A characteristic particle spectrum for a quartic inflaton-curvaton pair is identified: to within an order of magnitude, the mass of the curvaton can be predicted from the mass of the inflaton, and vice-versa. Low scale inflation Higgs portal sensitivity targets are found for experiments like the LHC, SHiP, BEPC, and KEKB.

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arXiv2016

Forbidden Dark Matter at the Weak Scale via the Top Portal

At the tail of its velocity distribution, cold dark matter (DM) can annihilate at finite temperature to states heavier than itself. We explore the possibility that DM freezeout is dictated by these "forbidden annihilations" at the electroweak scale. Demanding that annihilation products be Standard Model particles, we find that for the forbidden mechanism to primarily set the DM relic abundance, DM must couple predominantly, if not solely, to top quarks. This can be arranged by invoking a non-trivial flavor structure such as Minimal Flavor Violation. We avail two avenues to achieve the correct thermal cross-section, requiring a mediator exchanged in the $s$- or $t$-channel. These simplified models submit easily to direct detection and collider searches, and necessarily hide from indirect detection signals. Viable supersymmetric spectra involving the forbidden mechanism may be found if combined with co-annihilation.

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arXiv2016

A Cautionary Tale of Mis-measured Tails from $q/g$ Bias

Jet substructure techniques such as subjet $p_T$-asymmetry, mass-drop, and grooming have become powerful and widely used tools in experimental searches at the LHC. While these tools provide much-desired handles to separate signal from background, they can introduce unexpected mass scales into the analysis. These scales may be misinterpreted as excesses if these are not correctly incorporated into background modeling. As an example, we study the ATLAS hadronic di-$W/Z$ resonance search. There, we find that the substructure analysis -- in particular the combination of a subjet asymmetry cut with the requirement on the number of tracks within a jet -- induces a mass scale where the dominant partonic subprocess in the background changes from $pp \to g \!+\! q/\bar q$ to $pp \to q\bar{q}$. In light of this scale, modeling the QCD background using a simple smooth function with monotonically decreasing slope appears insufficient.

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arXiv2016

On the 750 GeV di-photon excess

We explore several perturbative scenarios in which the di-photon excess at 750 GeV can potentially be explained: a scalar singlet, a two Higgs doublet model (2HDM), a 2HDM with an extra singlet, and the decays of heavier resonances, both vector and scalar. We draw the following conclusions: (i) due to gauge invariance a 750 GeV scalar singlet can accommodate the observed excess more readily than a scalar SU(2)_L doublet; (ii) scalar singlet production via gluon fusion is one option, however, vector boson fusion can also provide a large enough rate, (iii) 2HDMs with an extra singlet and no extra fermions can only give a signal in a severely tuned region of the parameter space; (iv) decays of heavier resonances can give a large enough di-photon signal at 750 GeV, while simultaneously explaining the absence of a signal at 8 TeV.

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