arXiv subjects

Dorival Goncalves

Publications and source records attributed to Dorival Goncalves.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

EFT Workshop at Notre Dame

The LPC EFT workshop was held April 25-26, 2024 at the University of Notre Dame. The workshop was organized into five thematic sessions: "how far beyond linear" discusses issues of truncation and validity in interpretation of results with an eye towards practicality; "reconstruction-level results" visits the question of how best to design analyses directly targeting inference of EFT parameters; "logistics of combining likelihoods" addresses the challenges of bringing a diverse array of measurements into a cohesive whole; "unfolded results" tackles the question of designing fiducial measurements for later use in EFT interpretations, and the benefits and limitations of unfolding; and "building a sample library" addresses how best to generate simulation samples for use in data analysis. This document serves as a summary of presentations, subsequent discussions, and actionable items identified over the course of the workshop.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Probing the Top-Higgs Yukawa CP Structure in dileptonic $t \bar t h$ with $M_2$-Assisted Reconstruction

Constraining the Higgs boson properties is a cornerstone of the LHC program. We study the potential to directly probe the Higgs-top CP-structure via the $t\bar{t}h$ channel at the LHC with the Higgs boson decaying to a bottom pair and top-quarks in the dileptonic mode. We show that a combination of laboratory and $t\bar{t}$ rest frame observables display large CP-sensitivity, exploring the spin correlations in the top decays. To efficiently reconstruct our final state, we present a method based on simple mass minimization and prove its robustness to shower, hadronization and detector effects. In addition, the mass reconstruction works as an extra relevant handle for background suppression. Based on our results, we demonstrate that the Higgs-top CP-phase $(α)$ can be probed up to $\cosα< 0.7$ at the high luminosity LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Role of the $Z$ polarization in the $H \rightarrow b\bar{b}$ measurement

It is widely known that the $ZH$ production channel provides a promising probe to the $H \rightarrow b\bar{b}$ decay at the LHC, when the Higgs and the $Z$ bosons are highly boosted along the transverse direction. We show how information on the $Z$ boson polarization -- that is disregarded in the current LHC analyses -- can relevantly improve the signal from background discrimination, helping us to observe and achieve a larger precision for the $H \rightarrow b\bar{b}$ measurement in the $Z(\ell\ell)H$ channel.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Higgs Pair Production at Future Hadron Colliders: From Kinematics to Dynamics

The measurement of the triple Higgs coupling is a key benchmark for the LHC and future colliders. It directly probes the Higgs potential and its fundamental properties in connection to new physics beyond the Standard Model. There exist two phase space regions with an enhanced sensitivity to the Higgs self-coupling, the Higgs pair production threshold and an intermediate top pair threshold. We show how the invariant mass distribution of the Higgs pair offers a systematic way to extract the Higgs self-coupling, focusing on the leading channel $pp\to hh+X\to b\bar b\ γγ+X$. We utilize new features of the signal events at higher energies and estimate the potential of a high-energy upgrade of the LHC and a future hadron collider with realistic simulations. We find that the high-energy upgrade of the LHC to 27 TeV would reach a 5$σ$ observation with an integrated luminosity of 2.5 ab$^{-1}$. It would have the potential to reach 15% (30%) accuracy at the 68% (95%) confidence level to determine the SM Higgs boson self-coupling. A future 100 TeV collider could improve the self-coupling measurement to better than 5% (10%) at the 68% (95%) confidence level.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Boosting the $H\to$ invisibles searches with $Z$ boson polarization

It is argued that, in $H \to $ invisibles searches with $Z(\ell\ell)H$ associated production at the LHC, the signal efficiency can be sensibly improved via a detailed study of the $Z$ boson polarization, discriminating between the signal and the dominant-irreducible $Z(\ell\ell)Z(νν)$ background. We first present a comprehensive polarization study, obtaining the complete set of angular coefficients $A_i$ in the Collins-Soper reference frame and identifying the dominant phenomenological effects. Then, we show the results for a realistic Monte Carlo study to $H\to$ invisibles, taking the polarization analysis into account. We obtain about $20\%$ improvement in the upper bound for the branching ratio of the Higgs boson to invisible particles, assuming $300\ \mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of data at the 13 TeV LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Higgs Couplings at High Scales

We study the off-shell production of the Higgs boson at the LHC to probe Higgs physics at higher energy scales utilizing the process $g g \rightarrow h^{*} \rightarrow ZZ$. We focus on the energy scale dependence of the off-shell Higgs propagation, and of the top quark Yukawa coupling, $y_t (Q^2)$. Extending our recent study in arXiv:1710.02149, we first discuss threshold effects in the Higgs propagator due to the existence of new states, such as a gauge singlet scalar portal, and a possible continuum of states in a conformal limit, both of which would be difficult to discover in other traditional searches. We then examine the modification of $y_t (Q^2)$ from its Standard Model (SM) prediction in terms of the renormalization group running of the top Yukawa, which could be significant in the presence of large flat extra-dimensions. Finally, we explore possible strongly coupled new physics in the top-Higgs sector that can lead to the appearance of a non-local $Q^2$-dependent form factor in the effective top-Higgs vertex. We find that considerable deviations compared to the SM prediction in the invariant mass distribution of the $Z$-boson pair can be conceivable, and may be probed at a $2σ$-level at the high-luminosity 14 TeV HL-LHC for a new physics scale up to $\mathcal{O}(1 {~\rm TeV})$, and at the upgraded 27 TeV HE-LHC for a scale up to $\mathcal{O}(3 {~\rm TeV})$. For a few favorable scenarios, $5σ$-level observation may be possible at the HE-LHC for a scale of about $\mathcal{O}(1 {~\rm TeV})$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Off-shell Higgs Probe to Naturalness

Examining the Higgs sector at high energy scales through off-shell Higgs production can potentially shed light on the naturalness problem of the Higgs mass. We propose such a study at the LHC by utilizing a representative model with a new scalar field ($S$) coupled to the Standard Model Higgs doublet ($H$) in a form $ |S|^2 |H|^2$. In the process $p p \rightarrow h^* \rightarrow ZZ$, the dominant momentum-dependent part of the one-loop scalar singlet corrections, especially above the new threshold at $2m_S$, leads to a measurable deviation in the differential distribution of the $Z$-pair invariant mass, in accordance with the quadratic divergence cancellation to the Higgs mass. We find that it is conceivable to probe such new physics at the $5σ$ level at the high-luminosity LHC, improving further with the upgraded $27$ TeV LHC, without requiring the precise measurement of the Higgs boson total width. The discovery of such a Higgs portal could also have important implications for thermal dark matter as well as for electroweak baryogenesis.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Mono-top Signature from Fermionic Top-partner

We investigate mono-top signatures arising from phenomenological models of fermionic top-partners, which are degenerate in mass and decay into a bosonic dark matter candidate, either spin-0 or spin-1. Such a model provides a mono-top signature as a smoking-gun, while conventional searches with $t\bar t$ + missing transverse momentum are limited. Two such scenarios: i) a phenomenological 3rd generation extra dimensional model with excited top and electroweak sectors, and ii) a model where only a top-partner and a dark matter particle are added to the SM, are studied in the degenerate mass regime. We find that in the case of extra dimension a number of different processes give rise to effectively the same mono-top final state, and a great gain can be obtained in the sensitivity for this channel. We show that the mono-top search can explore top-partner masses up to 630 GeV and 300 GeV for the 3rd generation extra dimensional model and the minimal fermionic top-partner model, respectively, at the high luminosity LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Weak Boson Fusion at 100 TeV

From the LHC runs we know that, with increasing collider energy, weak-boson-fusion Higgs production dominates as an environment for precision measurements. We show how a future hadron collider performs for three challenging benchmark signatures. Because all of these measurements rely on the tagging jet signature, we first give a comprehensive analysis of weak-boson-fusion kinematics and a proposed two-step jet veto at a 100 TeV hadron collider. We then find this machine to be sensitive to invisible Higgs branching ratios of 0.5%, a second-generation muon Yukawa coupling of 2%, and an enhanced total Higgs width of around 5%, the latter with essentially no model dependence. This kind of performance crucially relies on a sufficient detector coverage and a dedicated weak-boson-fusion trigger channel.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Simplified Models for Dark Matter Face their Consistent Completions

Simplified dark matter models have been recently advocated as a powerful tool to exploit the complementarity between dark matter direct detection, indirect detection and LHC experimental probes. Focusing on pseudoscalar mediators between the dark and visible sectors, we show that the simplified dark matter model phenomenology departs significantly from that of consistent ${SU(2)_{\mathrm{L}} \times U(1)_{\mathrm{Y}}}$ gauge invariant completions. We discuss the key physics simplified models fail to capture, and its impact on LHC searches. Notably, we show that resonant mono-Z searches provide competitive sensitivities to standard mono-jet analyses at $13$ TeV LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Tagging a mono-top signature in Natural SUSY

We study the feasibility of probing a region of Natural Supersymmetry where the stop and higgsino masses are compressed. Although this region is most effectively searched for in the mono-jet channel, this signature is present in many other non-supersymmetric frameworks. Therefore, another channel that carries orthogonal information is required to confirm the existence of the light stop and higgsinos. We show that a supersymmetric version of the $t \bar t H$ process, $pp \to t \tilde t_1 \tilde χ^0_{1(2)}$, can have observably large rate when both the stop and higgsinos are significantly light, and it leads to a distinctive mono-top signature in the compressed mass region. We demonstrate that the hadronic channel of the mono-top signature can effectively discriminate the signal from backgrounds by tagging a hadronic top-jet. We show that the hadronic channel of mono-top signature offers a significant improvement over the leptonic channel and the sensitivity reaches $m_{\tilde t_1} \simeq 420$ GeV at the 13 TeV LHC with 3 ab$^{-1}$ luminosity.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Boosting to identify: pseudoscalar searches with di-leptonic tops

The quest for new heavy states is a critical component of the LHC physics program. In this letter, we study the search for pseudoscalar bosons produced in association with a $t\bar{t}$ pair. We consider the final state $t\bar{t} A \to t\bar{t} b\bar{b}$ with di-leptonic top pair signature, and reconstruct the boosted $A \to b\bar{b}$ candidate with jet substructure techniques, achieving a remarkable sensitivity over a broad range of pseudoscalar masses and Yukawa couplings. We apply this strategy to a Type-I Two-Higgs-Doublet Model, demonstrating its ability to probe a realistic, UV-complete extended Higgs sector. In particular, we find that the $13~TeV$ LHC with $300~fb^{-1}$ of data can constrain the region $\tanβ>1.5$ at 95$\%$ CL for a light pseudoscalar with $m_A = 50$ GeV. Moreover, the whole mass range $20~GeV<m_A<210~GeV$ can be ruled out for $\tanβ\leq 1$. Finally, we show that it is also possible to directly probe the CP-structure of the heavy scalar, and hence to distinguish a CP-odd (A) from a CP-even (H) 2HDM resonance.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Boosting invisible searches via $\boldsymbol{ZH}$: From the Higgs Boson to Dark Matter Simplified Models

Higgs boson production in association with a $Z$-boson at the LHC is analysed, both in the Standard Model and in Simplified Model extensions for Dark Matter. We focus on $H\rightarrow$invisibles searches and show that loop-induced components for both the signal and background present phenomenologically relevant contributions to the $\mathcal{BR}(H\rightarrow\textit{inv})$ limits. In addition, the constraining power of this channel to Simplified Models for Dark Matter with scalar and pseudo-scalar mediators $ϕ$ and $A$ is discussed and compared with non-collider constraints. We find that with $100~fb^{-1}$ of LHC data, this channel provides competitive constraints to the non-collider bounds, for most of the parameter space we consider, bounding the universal Standard Model fermion-mediator strength at $g_v < 1$ for moderate masses in the range of ${100~\text{GeV}<m_{ϕ/A}<400}$ GeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Boosting the Direct CP Measurement of the Higgs-Top Coupling

Characterizing the 125 GeV Higgs is a critical component of the physics program at the LHC Run II. In this Letter, we consider $t\bar{t}H$ associated production in the dileptonic mode. We demonstrate that the difference in azimuthal angle between the leptons from top decays can directly reveal the CP-structure of the top-Higgs coupling with the sensitivity of the measurement substantiality enhanced in the boosted Higgs regime. We first show how to access this channel via $H \to b\bar{b}$ jet-substructure tagging, then demonstrate the ability of the new variable to measure CP. Our analysis includes all signal and background samples simulated via the MC@NLO algorithm including hadronization and underlying-event effects. Using boosted Higgs substructure with dileptonic tops, we find that the top-Higgs coupling strength and the CP structure can be directly probed with achievable luminosity at the 13 TeV LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Distinguishing b-quark and gluon jets with a tagged b-hadron

Based on the knowledge of the QCD radiation pattern, observables to distinguish jets containing one and two $b$-hadrons are discussed. A simple method is used to combine pairs of the most sensitive observables, girth, number of charged tracks and the energy or momentum fraction of the leading $b$-hadron with respect to the jet, into one discriminator. Their efficiencies, on particle level, are estimated and found to improve the performance and the robustness of the observables in different momentum slices.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

The Non-Linear Higgs Legacy of the LHC Run I

In the recent paper on "The Higgs Legacy of the LHC Run I" we interpreted the LHC Higgs results in terms of an effective Lagrangian using the SFitter framework. For the on-shell Higgs analysis of rates and kinematic distributions we relied on a linear representation based on dimension-6 operators with a simplified fermion sector. In this addendum we describe how the extension of Higgs couplings modifications in a linear dimension-6 Lagrangian can be formally understood in terms of the non-linear effective field theory. It turns out that our previous results can be translated to the non-linear framework through a simple operator rotation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Constraining the Strength and CP Structure of Dark Production at the LHC: the Associated Top-Pair Channel

We consider the production of dark matter in association with a pair of top quarks, mediated by a scalar or pseudoscalar particle in a generic Simplified Model. We demonstrate that the difference of azimuthal angle between the two leptons $Δϕ_{ll}$, in the dileptonic top decay mode, can directly probe the CP-properties of the mediator. We estimate the constraints to strength and CP-structure of dark matter production for these well-motivated Simplified Models from the LHC Run II.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Augmenting the diboson excess for Run 2

The ATLAS collaboration recently reported an excess of events in the high invariant mass tail of reconstructed di-boson events. We investigate their analysis and point to possible subtleties and improvements in the jet substructure implementation and data-driven background estimates.

hep-ph↗