arXiv subjects

Christian Spethmann

Publications and source records attributed to Christian Spethmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

Formation and Evolution of Primordial Black Hole Binaries in the Early Universe

The abundance of primordial black holes (PBHs) in the mass range $0.1 - 10^3 M_\odot$ can potentially be tested by gravitational wave observations due to the large merger rate of PBH binaries formed in the early universe. To put the estimates of the latter on a firmer footing, we first derive analytical PBH merger rate for general PBH mass functions while imposing a minimal initial comoving distance between the binary and the PBH nearest to it, in order to pick only initial configurations where the binary would not get disrupted. We then study the formation and evolution of PBH binaries before recombination by performing N-body simulations. We find that the analytical estimate based on the tidally perturbed 2-body system strongly overestimates the present merger rate when PBHs comprise all dark matter, as most initial binaries are disrupted by the surrounding PBHs. This is mostly due to the formation of compact N-body systems at matter-radiation equality. However, if PBHs make up a small fraction of the dark matter, $f_{\rm PBH} \lesssim 10\%$, these estimates become more reliable. In that case, the merger rate observed by LIGO imposes the strongest constraint on the PBH abundance in the mass range $2 - 160 M_\odot$. Finally, we argue that, even if most initial PBH binaries are perturbed, the present BH-BH merger rate of binaries formed in the early universe is larger than $\mathcal{O}(10)\,{\rm Gpc}^{-3} {\rm yr}^{-1}\, f_{\rm PBH}^3$

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2018

Towards a viable scalar interpretation of $R_{D^{(*)}}$

Recent measurements of semileptonic B-meson decays seemingly imply violations of lepton flavor universality beyond the Standard Model predictions. With three-level explanations based on extended Higgs sectors being strongly challenged by the measurements of the $B_c^-$ lifetime, new theories invoking leptoquark or vector fields appear as the only feasible answer. However, in this work we show that simple scalar extensions of the Standard Model still offer a possible solution to the $B$ physics puzzle, owing to sizeable loop-level corrections which mimic the effects of new vector contributions. Considering a simplified model characterised by a charged and a neutral scalar particle, we verify the compatibility of the observed $R_{D^{(*)}}$ signal with the relevant collider bounds. We also study an embedding of the simplified model into a three-Higgs-doublet framework, and investigate its main phenomenological constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

The EDGES 21 cm Anomaly and Properties of Dark Matter

The recently claimed anomaly in the measurement of the 21 cm hydrogen absorption signal by EDGES at $z\sim 17$, if cosmological, requires the existence of new physics. The possible attempts to resolve the anomaly rely on either (i) cooling the hydrogen gas via new dark matter-hydrogen interactions or (ii) modifying the soft photon background beyond the standard CMB one, as possibly suggested also by the ARCADE~2 excess. We argue that solutions belonging to the first class are generally in tension with cosmological dark matter probes once simple dark sector models are considered. Therefore, we propose soft photon emission by light dark matter as a natural solution to the 21 cm anomaly, studying a few realizations of this scenario. We find that the signal singles out a photophilic dark matter candidate characterised by an enhanced collective decay mechanism, such as axion mini-clusters.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Collisionless shocks in self-interacting dark matter

Self-interacting dark matter has been proposed as a solution to small scale problems in cosmological structure formation, and hints of dark matter self scattering have been observed in mergers of galaxy clusters. One of the simplest models for self-interacting dark matter is a particle that is charged under dark electromagnetism, a new gauge interaction analogous to the usual electromagnetic force, but operating on the dark matter particle instead of the visible particles. In this case, the collisional behaviour of dark matter is primarily due to the formation of collisionless shocks, that should affect the distribution of DM in merging galaxy clusters. We evaluate the time and length scales of shock formation in cluster mergers, and discuss the implications for modelling charged dark matter in cosmological simulations.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Minimal flavor-changing $Z'$ models and muon $g-2$ after the $R_{K^*}$ measurement

There has been a steady interest in flavor anomalies and their global fits as ideal probes of new physics. If the anomalies are real, one promising explanation is a new $Z'$ gauge boson with flavor-changing coupling to bottom and strange quarks and a flavor-conserving coupling to muons and, possibly, electrons. We point out that direct production of such a $Z'$, emerging from the collision of $b$ and $s$ quarks, may offer a complementary window into these phenomena because collider searches already provide competitive constraints. On top of that, we analyse the same $Z'$ scenario in relation to another long-standing discrepancy between theory and experiment that concerns the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. By scanning the allowed $Z'$ coupling strengths in the low-mass region, we assess the compatibility of the signals from LHCb with the $Z'$ searches in the high energy LHC data and the measurements of the anomalous magnetic moment of the involved leptons. We also argue that observations of the latter can break the degeneracy pattern in the Wilson coefficients $C_9$ and $C_{10}$ presented by LHCb data. The $Z'$ model we consider is compatible with the new measurement of $R_{K^*}$, therefore it can potentially account for the long-standing deviations observed in $B$-physics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Simulations of Galaxy Cluster Collisions with a Dark Plasma Component

Dark plasma is an intriguing form of self-interacting dark matter with an effective fluid-like behavior, which is well motivated by various theoretical particle physics models. We aim to find an explanation for an isolated mass clump in the Abell 520 system, which cannot be explained by traditional models of dark matter, but has been detected in weak lensing observations. We performed N-body smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of galaxy cluster collisions with a two component model of dark matter, which is assumed to consist of a predominant non-interacting dark matter component and a 10-40 percent mass fraction of dark plasma. The mass of a possible dark clump was calculated for each simulation in a parameter scan over the underlying model parameters. In two higher resolution simulations shock-waves and Mach cones were observed to form in the dark plasma halos. By choosing suitable simulation parameters, the observed distributions of dark matter in both the Bullet Cluster (1E 0657-558) and Abell 520 (MS 0451.5+0250) can be qualitatively reproduced.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Relaxion Cosmology and the Price of Fine-Tuning

The relaxion scenario presents an intriguing extension of the standard model in which the particle introduced to solve to the strong CP problem, the axion, also achieves the dynamical relaxation of the Higgs boson mass term. In this work we complete this framework by proposing a scenario of inflationary cosmology that is consistent with all the observational constraints: the relaxion hybrid inflation with an asymmetric waterfall. In our scheme, the vacuum energy of the inflaton drives inflation in a natural way while the relaxion slow-rolls. The constraints on the present inflationary observables are then matched through a subsequent inflationary epoch driven by the inflaton. We quantify the amount of fine-tuning of the proposed inflation scenario, concluding that the inflaton sector severely decreases the naturalness of the theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Evidence for Dark Matter Self-Interactions via Collisionless Shocks in Cluster Mergers

While dark matter self-interactions may solve several problems with structure formation, so far only the effects of two-body scatterings of dark matter particles have been considered. We show that, if a subdominant component of dark matter is charged under an unbroken $U(1)$ gauge group, collective dark plasma effects need to be taken into account to understand its dynamics. Plasma instabilities can lead to collisionless dark matter shocks in galaxy cluster mergers which might have been already observed in the Abell 3827 and 520 clusters. As a concrete model we propose a thermally produced dark pair plasma of vectorlike fermions. In this scenario the interacting dark matter component is expected to be separated from the stars and the non-interacting dark matter halos in cluster collisions. In addition, the missing satellite problem is softened, while constraints from all other astrophysical and cosmological observations are avoided.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Galactic Centre GeV Photons from Dark Technicolor

We present a classically scale-invariant model with a confining dark sector, which is coupled to the Standard Model through the Higgs portal. The galactic centre gamma ray excess can be explained in this model by collision-induced dark matter decays to b-quarks. We discuss the possibility to obtain the dark matter relic density through thermal freeze-out, which however requires excessive fine-tuning. We then instead focus on a freeze-in scenario and perform detailed calculations and a parameter scan. We find that the observed relic density and the gamma ray excess can be explained by a wide range of parameters in this model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Testing Right-Handed Currents at the LHC

The CMS Collaboration has published two different searches for new physics that contain possible hints for excesses in $eejj$ and $e\nu jj$ final states. Interpreting those hints as a possible signal of a right-handed gauge boson $W_R$ with mass 2-2.5~TeV may have profound implications for our understanding of the gauge structure of nature and Grand Unification, the scalar sector accessible at the LHC, neutrino physics, and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. We show that this interpretation is, indeed, consistent with all existing constraints. However, before making premature claims we propose a number of cross-checks at the LHC14 that could confirm or falsify this scenario. Those include searches for a $Z_R$ resonance and the related new scalar sector around 6-7~TeV. Additionally, large effects in top-quark spin-asymmetries in single top production are possible.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Anomalous Higgs-boson coupling effects in HWW production at the LHC

We study the LHC associated production of a Higgs boson and a W^+W^- vector-boson pair at 14 TeV, in the Standard Model and beyond. We consider different signatures corresponding to the cleanest H and W decay channels, and discuss the potential of the high-luminosity phase of the LHC. In particular, we investigate the sensitivity of the HWW production to possible anomalous Higgs couplings to vector bosons and fermions. Since the b-quark initiated partonic channel contributes significantly to this process, we find a moderate sensitivity to both the size and sign of an anomalous top-quark Yukawa coupling, because perturbative unitarity in the standard model implies a destructive interference in the b b-bar subprocess. We show that a combination of various signatures can reach a ~9 standard-deviation sensitivity in the presently allowed negative region of the top-Higgs coupling, if not previously excluded.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Towards Completing the Standard Model: Vacuum Stability, EWSB and Dark Matter

We study the standard model (SM) in its full perturbative validity range between $\Lambda_QCD$ and the $U(1)_Y$ Landau pole, assuming that a yet unknown gravitational theory in the UV does not introduce additional particle thresholds, as suggested by the tiny cosmological constant and the absence of new stabilising physics at the EW scale. We find that, due to dimensional transmutation, the SM Higgs potential has a global minimum at 10^26 GeV, invalidating the SM as a phenomenologically acceptable model in this energy range. We show that extending the classically scale invariant SM with one complex singlet scalar S allows us to: (i) stabilise the SM Higgs potential; (ii) induce a scale in the singlet sector via dimensional transmutation that generates the negative SM Higgs mass term via the Higgs portal; (iii) provide a stable CP-odd singlet as the thermal relic dark matter due to CP-conservation of the scalar potential; (iv) provide a degree of freedom that can act as an inflaton in the form of the CP-even singlet. The logarithmic behaviour of dimensional transmutation allows one to accommodate the large hierarchy between the electroweak scale and the Landau pole, while understanding the latter requires a new non-perturbative view on the SM.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Twin Peak Higgs

A broad class of models in which electroweak symmetry breaking originates from dynamics in a singlet dark sector, and is transferred to the Standard Model via the Higgs portal, predicts in general strongly suppressed Higgs boson mixing with a singlet scalar. In this work we point out that at present this class of models allows for the second phenomenologically acceptable solution with almost maximal mixing between the Higgs and the scalar singlet. This scenario predicts an almost degenerate twin peak Higgs signal which is presently indistinguishable from a single peak, due to the limited LHC mass resolution. Because of that, the LHC experiments measure inclusive Higgs rates that all must exactly agree with Standard Model predictions due to sum rules. We show that if the dark sector and Standard Model communicate only via the singlet messenger scalar that mixes with the Higgs, the spin independent direct detection cross section of dark matter is suppressed by the scalar mass degeneracy, explaining its non-observation so far.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Dark Supersymmetry

We propose a model of Dark Supersymmetry, where a supersymmetric dark sector is coupled to the classically scale invariant non-supersymmetric Standard Model through the Higgs portal. The dark sector contains a mass scale that is protected against radiative corrections by supersymmetry, and the portal coupling mediates this scale to the Standard Model, resulting in a vacuum expectation value for the Higgs field and the usual electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. The supersymmetric dark sector contains dark matter candidates, and we show that the observed dark matter abundance is generated for a natural choice of parameters, while avoiding the current experimental bounds on direct detection. Future experiments can probe this scenario if the dark sector mass scale is not too high.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Physical Naturalness and Dynamical Breaking of Classical Scale Invariance

We propose a model of a confining dark sector, dark technicolor, that communicates with the Standard Model through the Higgs portal. In this model electroweak symmetry breaking and dark matter share a common origin, and the electroweak scale is generated dynamically. Our motivation to suggest this model is the absense of evidence for new physics from recent LHC data. Although the conclusion is far from certain at this point, this lack of evidence may suggest that no mechanism exists at the electroweak scale to stabilise the Higgs mass against radiative corrections from UV physics. The usual reaction to this puzzling situation is to conclude that the stabilising new physics is either hidden from us by accident, or that it appears at energies that are currently inaccessible, such that nature is indeed fine-tuned. In order to re-examine the arguments that have lead to this dichotomy, we review the concept of naturalness in effective field theories, discussing in particular the role of quadratic divergences in relation to different energy scales. This leads us to suggest classical scale invariance as a guidline for model building, implying that explicit mass scales are absent in the underlying theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Light axigluon explanation of the Tevatron ttbar asymmetry and multijet signals at the LHC

The ttbar asymmetry measured at the Tevatron continues to disagree with Standard Model predictions at the 3 sigma level. We update the status of the phenomenological light axigluon model in explaining the asymmetry data, taking into account constraints from the charge asymmetry at the LHC and the ttbar cross section at both Tevatron and LHC. We find that an axigluon with a mass between 100 and 400 GeV provides an excellent fit to the data. Recent searches by ATLAS and CMS for pair production of heavy resonances which decay to dijets rule out axigluons with large branching fractions to dijets. However axigluons which predominantly decay to multijets via intermediate resonances are still a possibility. We outline four distinct scenarios which cover the most important decay topologies and discuss how one might exclude or discover axigluons as multijet resonances at the LHC. MadGraph implementations for each of the scenarios are provided.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Diboson-Jets and the Search for Resonant Zh Production

New particles at the TeV-scale may have sizeable decay rates into boosted Higgs bosons or other heavy scalars. Here, we investigate the possibility of identifying such processes when the Higgs/scalar subsequently decays into a pair of W bosons, constituting a highly distinctive "diboson-jet." These can appear as a simple dilepton (plus MET) configuration, as a two-prong jet with an embedded lepton, or as a four-prong jet. We study jet substructure methods to discriminate these objects from their dominant backgrounds. We then demonstrate the use of these techniques in the search for a heavy spin-one Z' boson, such as may arise from strong dynamics or an extended gauge sector, utilizing the decay chain Z' -> Zh -> Z(WW^(*)). We find that modes with multiple boosted hadronic Zs and Ws tend to offer the best prospects for the highest accessible masses. For 100/fb luminosity at the 14 TeV LHC, Z' decays into a standard 125 GeV Higgs can be observed with 5-sigma significance for masses of 1.5-2.5 TeV for a range of models. For a 200 GeV Higgs (requiring nonstandard couplings, such as fermiophobic), the reach may improve to up to 2.5-3.0 TeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2011

Constraints on W Prime Models for the ttbar Asymmetry

We discuss if the Tevatron ttbar asymmetry can be explained by T-channel exchange of a W' gauge boson coupling to down and top quarks. In a spontaneously broken gauge theory, such a W' is necessarily accompanied by a Z' at a similar mass scale. Null results from Tevatron searches for dijet and dilepton resonances imply large mass splitting between the $W'$ and $Z'$. We argue that such splitting can only be accomplished if the gauge symmetry is broken by a scalar in a large dimension representation of the gauge group, for which no perturbative description exists.

hep-ph↗