arXiv subjects

Ann Nelson

Publications and source records attributed to Ann Nelson.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Dark halos around neutron stars and gravitational waves

We find that a class of models of MeV-GeV dark matter in which dark matter interacts strongly can be constrained by the observation of gravitational waves from neutron star mergers. Trace amounts of dark matter, either produced during the supernova or accreted later, can alter the structure of neutron stars and influence their tidal polarizability. We focus on models of dark matter interacting by the exchange of light vector gauge bosons that couple to a conserved dark charge. In these models, dark matter accumulated in neutron stars can extend to large radii and enhance their tidal polarizability. Gravitational waves detected from the first binary neutron star merger GW170817 places useful constraints on such not-so compact objects. Dark halos, if present, also predict a greater variability of neutron star tidal polarizabilities than expected for ordinary neutron stars.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Composite Higgs Models with a Hidden Sector

We discuss the phenomenology of composite Higgs models that naturally produce a Standard Model-like Higgs boson with a mass of $126$ GeV. The effective theory below the compositeness scale is weakly coupled in these models, and the goldstone sector acts as a portal between the third generation of quarks and a hidden gauge sector. The addition of hidden-sector fermions gives rise to a calculable effective scalar potential with a naturally light scalar resonance. The generic prediction of these theories is the existence of additional pseudo-Nambu Goldstone bosons with electroweak-scale cross sections and masses. In this paper we analyze the collider signatures for some simple concrete realizations of this framework. We find that despite the existence of additional weakly and strongly coupled particles that are kinematically within reach of current experiments, the generic signatures are difficult to resolve at the LHC, and could remain well-hidden in the absence of an $e^+ e^-$ Higgs factory such as the CEPC or a surface detector such as MATHUSLA.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Relaxion: A Landscape Without Anthropics

The relaxion mechanism provides a potentially elegant solution to the hierarchy problem without resorting to anthropic or other fine-tuning arguments. This mechanism introduces an axion-like field, dubbed the relaxion, whose expectation value determines the electroweak hierarchy as well as the QCD strong CP violating $\barθ$ parameter. During an inflationary period, the Higgs mass squared is selected to be negative and hierarchically small in a theory which is consistent with 't Hooft's technical naturalness criteria. However, in the original model proposed by Graham, Kaplan and Rajendran (2015), the relaxion does not solve the strong CP problem, and in fact contributes to it, as the coupling of the relaxion to the Higgs field and the introduction of a linear potential for the relaxion produces large strong CP violation. We resolve this tension by considering inflation with a Hubble scale which is above the QCD scale but below the weak scale, and estimating the Hubble temperature dependence of the axion mass. The relaxion potential is thus very different during inflation than it is today. We find that provided the inflationary Hubble scale is between the weak scale and about 3 GeV, the relaxion resolves the hierarchy, strong CP, and dark matter problems in a way that is technically natural.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Constraints on Theories With Large Extra Dimensions

Recently, a number of authors have challenged the conventional assumption that the string scale, Planck mass, and unification scale are roughly comparable. It has been suggested that the string scale could be as low as a TeV. In this note, we explore constraints on these scenarios. We argue that the most plausible cases have a fundamental scale of at least 10 TeV and five dimensions of inverse size 10 MeV. We show that a radial dilaton mass in the range of proposed millimeter scale gravitational arises naturally in these scenarios. Most other scenarios require huge values of flux and may not be realizable in M Theory. Existing precision experiments put a conservative lower bound of 6-10 TeV on the fundamental energy scale. We note that large dimensions with bulk supersymmetry might be a natural framework for quintessence, and make some other tentative remarks about cosmology.

hep-th↗

arXiv1998

A One-Scale Model of Dynamical Supersymmetry Breaking

A model of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking is constructed in which the low-energy physics depends on a single dynamical scale. Strong coupling dynamics of gauge theories plays an important role, in particular through its effects on beta functions and through confinement. The model does not have distinct messenger and supersymmetry-breaking sectors. The scale of supersymmetry breaking is of order 10-100 \TeV, implying that the decay of the next-to-lightest superpartner into the gravitino is prompt. Superoblique corrections are enhanced. A Dirac fermion and one complex scalar, in a 10 or \bar{10} of (global) SU(5), are predicted to be relatively light and to satisfy certain mass relations with the standard model squarks and sleptons.

hep-ph↗