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Baradhwaj Coleppa

Publications and source records attributed to Baradhwaj Coleppa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Optimizing The Cut And Count Method In Phenomenological Studies

We introduce an optimization technique to discriminate signal and background in any phenomeno- logical study based on the cut and count-based method. The core ideas behind this technique are the introduction of a ranking scheme that can quantitatively assess the relative importance of var- ious observables involved in a new physics process, and a more methodical way of choosing what cuts to impose. The technique is an iterative process that works with the help of the MadAnalysis5 interface. Working in the context of a BSM (Beyond Standard Model) scenario where we carry out a signal search of singly charged Higgs in the context of the Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM), we demonstrate how automating the cut and count process in this specific way results in an enhanced discovery potential compared with the more traditional way of imposing cuts.

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ILC Phenomenology of the $Z_3$ symmetric Type-Z Three Higgs Doublet Model

The Three-Higgs-Doublet Model (3HDM) extends the Standard Model by introducing two additional scalar doublets, leading to a rich spectrum of new particles: three neutral CP-even Higgs bosons ($h_1$, $H_2$, $H_3$), two neutral CP-odd Higgs bosons ($A_2$, $A_3$), and two charged Higgs bosons ($H_2^+$, $H_3^+$). In this work, we present a phenomenological study of the 3HDM at the future International Linear Collider (ILC) with a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 1000\,\text{GeV}$. Applying a comprehensive set of theoretical and experimental constraints, we identify promising new physics signals with sufficiently large production cross-sections. Our analysis shows that $e^+e^- \to H_2 A_2$, $e^+e^- \to H_2 H_2 Z$, $A_2 A_2 Z$, $H_2 H_2^{\pm} W^{\mp}$, $A_2 H_2^{\pm} W^{\mp}$ and $H_1 H_2 A_2$ are among the most sensitive channels to probe this extended Higgs sector. We demonstrate that a future ILC would offer a powerful platform to test these interactions and discover these heavier Higgs bosons thus providing evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model.

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Neutral Scalar Signatures at a Muon Collider in the $Z_3$ symmetric Three Higgs Doublet Model

Extending the scalar sector of the Standard Model is a well-motivated approach to exploring physics beyond the Standard Model. In this work, we investigate the phenomenology of the Three Higgs Doublet Model at a future muon collider. The scalar spectrum of the 3HDM comprises three CP-even Higgs bosons, two CP-odd Higgs bosons, and a pair of charged Higgs states. Focusing on Higgs pair production via muon-antimuon annihilation, we study the production and decay of neutral scalar states through the process $μ^+μ^- \to ϕ_i ϕ_j$, assuming a mass hierarchy in which the SM-like CP-even Higgs is the lightest state. We analyze several benchmark scenarios leading to $b\bar{b}b\bar{b}$ and $b\bar{b}t\bar{t}$ final states, and perform a cut-and-count analysis at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=3$ TeV. Our results demonstrate that a future muon collider provides a sensitive and promising environment to probe extended Higgs sectors, with neutral scalar states in the mass range of $200-400$ GeV being discoverable with $5σ$ significance for integrated luminosities of $\mathcal{O}(1-4 \ \mathrm{ab}^{-1})$.

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Flavour-Changing Neutral Current Top Decays in the Three Higgs Doublet Model

We study flavour-changing neutral current decays of the top quark in the democratic Three Higgs Doublet Model featuring a $Z_3$-symmetric scalar potential and Natural Flavour Conservation. In this framework, while such processes are absent at tree-level, the extended scalar sector induces new one-loop contributions to rare top decays. We compute the branching ratios for processes of the form $t \to q X$ (with $q = u, c$ and $X$ denoting a boson of the model), and explore the viable regions of the parameter space under theoretical consistency conditions and current experimental constraints. Several alignment-limit scenarios corresponding to different hierarchies among the CP-even Higgs states are analysed, and we find that the predicted branching ratios can significantly exceed their Standard Model expectations while remaining consistent with existing limits. In particular, we identify scenarios with light non-standard scalars that can lead to rates within the projected sensitivity of the High-Luminosity LHC. Our results therefore highlight rare top decays as a promising probe of the extended scalar sector of the Three Higgs Doublet Model.

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LHC Signatures of Neutral Scalar Cascades in the $Z_3$ symmetric 3HDM

Extending the scalar sector is one of the standard approaches to exploring scenarios beyond the Standard Model. In this work, we examine the collider phenomenology of the Three Higgs Doublet Model (3HDM) in the Type-Z or the democratic Yukawa interaction setup at the LHC. The scalar spectrum of the 3HDM includes three CP-even scalars, two CP-odd scalars, and four charged Higgs bosons. Focusing on cascade decay topologies, we investigate the collider signatures of the neutral scalars through the process $pp \rightarrow SV$, where $S$ is a neutral scalar and $V$ is a vector boson. We perform a cross-section analysis across multiple benchmark points that satisfy both theoretical and experimental constraints, considering two mass hierarchy scenarios: (i) Regular Hierarchy, where the SM-like Higgs is the lightest CP-even scalar, and (ii) Medial Hierarchy, featuring one Higgs boson lighter than the SM Higgs and one heavier. For both scenarios, we study the specific process $pp \rightarrow A \rightarrow HZ \rightarrow b \bar{b} l^+l^-$, performing a cut and count analysis at $\sqrt{s}=14$ TeV. Our results demonstrate that while the Medial Hierarchy scenario allows discovery-level sensitivity for both the CP-even and CP-odd scalars, achieving the same sensitivity in the Regular Hierarchy setup necessitates substantially higher luminosity.

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Charged Higgs Signatures at Future Electron-Proton Colliders

In this work, we present a detailed collider phenomenology study of the charged Higgs boson within a Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) framework featuring an extended gauge and scalar sector. The charged Higgs can decay via conventional modes, such as $H^- \to \bar{t}b$ and $H^- \to W^-h$, as well as through exotic channels like $H^- \to W'Z$ (or $WZ'$). These decays lead to distinct final-state topologies determined by the nature of the intermediate particles. We perform a comprehensive phenomenological analysis at future electron-proton colliders, namely the LHeC and FCC-eh, considering the luminosity projections provided in their design reports. Our results indicate that the conventional decay modes of the charged Higgs boson can achieve observable sensitivity and even discovery prospects at sufficiently high luminosities. In contrast, the exotic decay channel $H^- \to W'Z$ does not exhibit any viable discovery potential. These findings highlight the complementarity of future electron-proton colliders in probing extended Higgs sectors, particularly through conventional charged Higgs signatures.

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Constraining the 3HDM Parameter Space using Active Learning

One of the standard ways to study scenarios beyond the Standard Model involves extending the Higgs Sector. This work examines the Three Higgs Doublet Model (3HDM) in a Type-Z or democratic setup, where each Higgs doublet couples exclusively to a specific type of fermion. The particle spectrum of the 3HDM includes four charged Higgs bosons, two CP-odd scalars, and three CP-even scalars. This work investigates the allowed mass and coupling parameter space in the Type-Z 3HDM after imposing all theoretical and experimental constraints. We extract the allowed parameter space under three distinct alignment-limit conditions or mass hierarchies leveraging machine learning techniques. Specifically, we analyze scenarios where the 125 GeV Higgs is the lightest, an intermediary, or the heaviest CP-even Higgs boson. Our findings indicate that while a single lighter CP-even Higgs boson below 125 GeV still remains a possibility, the presence of two lighter Higgses is ruled out.

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Multicomponent Scalar Dark Matter with an Extended Gauge Sector

We consider an extension of the Standard Model of particle physics with an additional $SU(2)$ gauge sector along with an additional scalar bidoublet and a non-linear sigma field. The neutral components of the bidoublet serve as dark matter candidates by virtue of the bidoublet being odd under a $Z_2$ symmetry. Generic beyond Standard Model constraints like vacuum stability, invisible decay of higgs, Higgs alignment limit and collider constraints on heavy gauge bosons restrict the parameter space of this model. In this multicomponent dark matter scenario, we investigate the interplay between the annihilation and co-annihilation channels originating from the new gauge sector as those contribute to the relic abundance. We also inspect the direct detection constraints on scattering cross-sections of the dark matter particles with the detector nucleons and present our observations.

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Dark matter production from two evaporating PBH distributions

Particulate Dark Matter (DM), completely isolated from the Standard Model particle sector, can be produced in the early universe from Primordial Black Hole (PBH) evaporation. However, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) observations put an upper bound on the initial mass of PBH requiring the PBH to evaporate completely before the advent of BBN. DM particles in the mass range $\sim(1-10^9)$ GeV can not explain the observed relic abundance for an early matter dominated universe due to this BBN constraint. However, this assumes the presence of only one monochromatic PBH mass distribution in the early universe. In this work, we explore the simple possibility of achieving the observed relic with DM masses from the above mentioned range for an early matter dominated era with two monochromatic evaporating PBH mass distributions and demonstrate that the fermionic DM masses consistent with BBN change slightly.

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Dark Sector extensions of the Littlest Seesaw in the presence of Primordial Black Holes

The Littlest Seesaw model is a very well motivated dark matter model. Here we consider an extension of that model with an additional scalar and an additional fermionic particle under the freeze-in scenario. Formation of black hole of a certain mass range at primordial times can act as an alternate production mechanism for the dark matter particles as it evaporates via Hawking radiation. Furthermore, the presence of primordial black holes with substantial energy density gives rise to non-standard cosmology which also modifies the freeze-in production. In this paper, we have investigated the extended Littlest Seesaw model under the freeze-in scenario in the presence of a primordial black hole for various interesting cases and constrained the parameter space accordingly. If the universe is primordial black hole dominated at any point in the evolution of the universe, we find that the final relic in that case is dominated mostly by the evaporation component for a high dark matter mass and by the freeze-in component for a low dark matter mass.

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Charged Higgs Prospects In Extended Gauge Models

In this paper, we explore the collider phenomenology of the charged Higgs boson in the context of a generic Beyond Standard Model scenario with extended gauge and scalar sectors. In such scenarios, the charged Higgs boson can decay via the $W^{'}Z/ WZ^{'}$ channels. We formulate a search strategy for the $H^{\pm}$ in the channel $σ(g b \rightarrow H^{\pm}t)\mathcal{BR}(H^{\pm} \rightarrow W' Z)$ considering the interesting cascade decay chain $H^{\pm} \rightarrow W^{'} Z \rightarrow W^{\pm} Z Z$. We find that the charged Higgs can be discovered in final states with multiple hard leptons and/ or b-quarks which future LHC experiments with sufficiently large luminosity ($\mathcal{L} = 1000 fb^{-1}$ and above) can probe.

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An update on the two singlet Dark Matter model

We revisit the two real singlet extension of the Standard Model with a $Z_2\times Z_2^\prime$ symmetry. One of the singlet scalars $S_2$, by virtue of an unbroken $Z_2^\prime$ symmetry, plays the role of a stable dark matter candidate. The other scalar $S_1$, with spontaneously broken $Z_2$-symmetry, mixes with the SM Higgs boson and acts as the scalar mediator. We analyze the model by putting in the entire set of theoretical and recent experimental constraints. The latest bounds from direct detection Xenon1T experiment severely restricts the allowed region of parameter space of couplings. To ensure the dark matter satisfies the relic abundance criterion, we rely on the Breit-Wigner enhanced annihilation cross-section. Further, we study the viability of explaining the observed gamma-ray excess in the galactic center in this model with a dark matter of mass in the $\sim 36-51$ GeV window and present our conclusions.

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The 2HDM Doppelganger

We discuss the structure of a model with an extended gauge symmetry group $SU(2)\times SU(2)\times U(1)$ with a correspondingly rich Electroweak Symmetry Breaking structure. In spite of the additional scalar degrees of freedom in the model, the presence of the extra gauge group $SU(2)$ and its associated heavy vector bosons ensures that the scalar spectrum of the model after symmetry breaking is identical to that of the Two Higgs Doublet Models. We construct the model and discuss its implications, specifically the phenomenology associated with this class of models in contrast to the 2HDM.

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Charged Higgs Discovery Prospects

We study the discovery prospects of the charged Higgs boson in the context of multi Higgs models in certain BSM scenarios. We classify models into three categories based on the charged Higgs coupling properties: gaugophobic, fermiophobic, and chromophobic. In each case, we identify viable modes of discovery, and present LHC analysis for discovery. We find that extensions of the Standard Model in which the charged Higgs does not couple to colored particles offer the best possible avenues for discovery.

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Fermiophobic gauge boson phenomenology in 221 Models

Models with extra gauge symmetry are well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model. In this paper, we study an extended gauge model with a heavy neutral gauge boson $Z'$ which is fermiophobic. Thus, the production of such particles can occur via vector boson fusion, with subsequent decays into $WW$ or $Zh$. We investigate the collider phenomenology of such $Z'$s in the context of both the 14 TeV LHC and the future CLIC. We find that looking at $\ell\ell b b$ final states provides a rich opportunity to discover such new vector bosons where conventional search strategies in the dilepton channel would fail. In particular, we optimize our analysis by putting in kinematic cuts deriving model-independent values of $σ\times$BR needed for a 5$σ$ discovery at the LHC. We then translate this into the parameter space of a specific model for illustration purpose -- our results show that fermiophobic $Z'$s are discoverable in the $\ell\ell b b$ channel for wide range of parameter values.

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Seeking Heavy Higgs Bosons through Cascade Decays

We investigate the LHC discovery prospects for a heavy Higgs boson decaying into the Standard Model Higgs boson and additional weak bosons. We consider a generic model-independent new physics configuration where this decay proceeds via a cascade involving other intermediate scalar bosons and focus on an LHC final-state signature comprised either of four b-jets and two charged leptons or of four charged leptons and two b-jets. We design two analyses of the corresponding signals, and demonstrate that a 5σ discovery at the 14 TeV LHC is possible for various combinations of the parent and daughter Higgs-boson masses. We moreover find that the Standard Model backgrounds can be sufficiently rejected to guarantee the reconstrution of the parent Higgs boson mass. We apply our analyses to the Type-II Two-Higgs-Doublet Model and identify the regions of the parameter space to which the LHC is sensitive.

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Measuring CP nature of top-Higgs couplings at the future Large Hadron electron collider

We investigate the sensitivity of top-Higgs coupling by considering the associated vertex as CP phase ($ζ_t$) dependent through the process $p\, e^- \to \bar t \,h \,ν_e$ in the future Large Hadron electron collider. In particular the decay modes are taken to be $h \to b\bar b$ and $\bar t \to$ leptonic mode. Several distinct $ζ_t$ dependent features are demonstrated by considering observables like cross sections, top-quark polarisation, rapidity difference between $h$ and $\bar t$ and different angular asymmetries. Luminosity ($L$) dependent exclusion limits are obtained for $ζ_t$ by considering significance based on fiducial cross sections at different $σ$-levels. For electron and proton beam-energies of 60 GeV and 7 TeV respectively, at $L = 100$~fb$^{-1}$, the regions above $π/5 < ζ_t \leq π$ are excluded at 2$σ$ confidence level, which reflects better sensitivity expected at the Large Hadron Collider. With appropriate error fitting methodology we find that the accuracy of SM top-Higgs coupling could be measured to be $κ= 1.00 \pm 0.17 (0.08)$ at $\sqrt{s} = 1.3 (1.8)$ TeV for an ultimate $L = 1 \,\rm{ab}^{-1}$.

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Charged Higgs Search via $AW^\pm/HW^\pm$ Channel

Models of electroweak symmetry breaking with extended Higgs sectors are theoretically well motivated. In this study, we focus on models with a low energy spectrum containing a pair of charged scalars $H^\pm$, as well as a light scalar H and/or a pseudoscalar A. We study the $H^\pm tb$ associated production with $H^\pm \to AW/HW$, which could reach sizable branching fractions in certain parameter regions. With detailed collider analysis, we obtain the exclusion bounds as well as discovery reach at the 14 TeV LHC for the process $pp \to H^\pm tb \to AW^\pm tb/HW^\pm tb \to ττbbWW, bbbbWW$. We find that for a daughter particle mass of 70 GeV, the 95% C.L. exclusion reach in $σ$xBR varies from about 60 fb to 25 fb, for $m_{H^\pm}$ ranging from 150 GeV to 500 GeV with 300 fb$^{-1}$ integrated luminosity in the $ττ$ mode. We further interpret these bounds in the context of Type II Two Higgs Doublet Model. The exclusion region in the $m_{H^\pm}-\tanβ$ plane can be extended to $m_{H^\pm}=$ 600 GeV, while discovery is possible for $m_{H^\pm}\lesssim$ 400 GeV with 300 fb$^{-1}$ integrated luminosity. The exotic decay mode $H^\pm \to AW^\pm/HW^\pm$ offers a complementary channel to the conventional mode $H^\pm \to τν$ for charged Higgs searches.

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