arXiv subjects

F. Zwirner

Publications and source records attributed to F. Zwirner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2005

Fluxes and gaugings: N = 1 effective superpotentials

We illustrate the correspondence between the N=1 superstring compactifications with fluxes, the N=4 gauged supergravities and the superpotential and Kähler potential of the effective N=1 supergravity in four dimensions. In particular we derive, in the presence of general fluxes, the effective N=1 supergravity theory associated to the type IIA orientifolds with D6 branes, compactified on $T^6/(Z_2 \times Z_2)$. We construct explicit examples with different features: in particular, new IIA no-scale models, new models with cosmological interest and a model which admits a supersymmetric AdS$_4$ vacuum with all seven main moduli ($S, T_A, U_A,A=1,2,3$) stabilized.

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arXiv2002

On the two-loop sbottom corrections to the neutral Higgs boson masses in the MSSM

We compute the O(ab*as) two-loop corrections to the neutral Higgs boson masses in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, using the effective potential approach. Such corrections can be important in the region of parameter space corresponding to tan(beta)>>1 and sizeable mu. In spite of the formal analogy with the O(at*as) corrections, there are important differences, since the dominant effects are controlled by the sbottom-Higgs scalar couplings. We propose a convenient renormalization scheme that avoids unphysically large threshold effects associated with the bottom mass, and absorbs the bulk of the O(ab*as + ab*at) corrections into the one-loop expression. We give general explicit formulae for the O(ab*as) corrections to the neutral Higgs boson mass matrix. We also discuss the importance of the O(ab^2) corrections and derive a formula for their contribution to mh in a simple limiting case.

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arXiv2001

Anomalies in orbifold field theories

We study the constraints on models with extra dimensions arising from local anomaly cancellation. We consider a five-dimensional field theory with a U(1) gauge field and a charged fermion, compactified on the orbifold S^1/(Z_2 x Z_2'). We show that, even if the orbifold projections remove both fermionic zero modes, there are gauge anomalies localized at the fixed points. Anomalies naively cancel after integration over the fifth dimension, but gauge invariance is broken, spoiling the consistency of the theory. We discuss the implications for realistic supersymmetric models with a single Higgs hypermultiplet in the bulk, and possible cancellation mechanisms in non-minimal models.

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arXiv2000

Report of the Beyond the MSSM Subgroup for the Tevatron Run II SUSY/Higgs Workshop

There are many low-energy models of supersymmetry breaking parameters which are motivated by theoretical and experimental considerations. Here, we discuss some of the lesser-known theories of low-energy supersymmetry, and outline their phenomenological consequences. In some cases, these theories have more gauge symmetry or particle content than the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. In other cases, the parameters of the Lagrangian are unusual compared to commonly accepted norms (e.g., Wino LSP, heavy gluino LSP, light gluino, etc.). The phenomenology of supersymmetry varies greatly between the different models. Correspondingly, particular aspects of the detectors assume greater or lesser importance. Detection of supersymmetry and the determination of all parameters may well depend upon having the widest possible view of supersymmetry phenomenology.

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arXiv1999

Signals of a superlight gravitino at hadron colliders when the other superparticles are heavy

If the gravitino (G) is very light and all the other supersymmetric particles are above threshold, supersymmetry may still be found at colliders, by looking at processes with only gravitinos and ordinary particles in the final state. We compute here the cross-sections for some distinctive signals at hadron colliders: photon plus missing energy, induced by (q antiquark -> G G photon), and jet plus missing energy, induced by (q antiquark -> G G g), (q g -> G G q), and (g g -> G G g). From the present Tevatron data, we estimate the bound m_{3/2} > 2.3 10^-5 eV on the gravitino mass, corresponding to the bound sqrt{F} > 310 GeV on the supersymmetry-breaking scale. We foresee that the upgraded Tevatron and the LHC will be sensitive to values of m_{3/2} up to 4.0 10^-5 eV and 6.2 10^-4 eV, corresponding to sqrt{F} up to 410 GeV and 1.6 TeV, respectively.

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arXiv1997

Phenomenological aspects of a Fermiophobic SU(2)xSU(2)xU(1) extension of the Standard Model

We consider an extension of the standard electroweak theory with gauge group $SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R \times U(1)_{\tilde{Y}}$, where the gauge bosons of the extra $SU(2)_R$ factor do not couple to ordinary fermions. We show that precision electroweak data and flavour physics provide quite stringent indirect constraints on its parameter space, but still allow for relatively light non-standard gauge and Higgs bosons. We then consider the model phenomenology at high-energy colliders, and observe that in the gauge boson sector present bounds and possible future signals are dominated by $Z'$ production. In summary, indirect constraints on the charged gauge boson sector are so tight that observable new effects must be connected either with the neutral gauge boson sector or with the extended Higgs sector of the model.

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arXiv1996

Higgs Physics at LEP2

In this report we review the prospects for Higgs physics at LEP2. The theoretical aspects and the phenomenology of Higgs particles are discussed within the Standard Model (SM) and the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The experimental search techniques are described and the discovery limits for Higgs bosons in the LEP2 energy range are summarized. In addition, opportunities of detecting Higgs particles in non-minimal extensions of the SM and the MSSM are investigated.

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arXiv1994

Supersymmetry and SU(2)xU(1) breaking with naturally vanishing vacuum energy

We show how the spontaneous breaking of local N=1 supersymmetry and of the SU(2)xU(1) gauge symmetry can be simultaneously realized, with naturally vanishing tree-level vacuum energy, in superstring effective supergravities. Both the gravitino mass m_{3/2} and the electroweak scale m_Z are classically undetermined, and slide along moduli directions that include the Higgs flat direction |H_1^0| = |H_2^0|. There are important differences with conventional supergravity models: the goldstino has components along the higgsino direction; SU(2) x U(1) breaking occurs already at the classical level; the scales m_{3/2} and m_Z, the gauge couplings, the lightest Higgs mass and the cosmological constant are entirely determined by quantum corrections.

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arXiv1994

Towards a dynamical determination of parameters in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), the scale $M_{SUSY}$ of soft supersymmetry breaking is usually {\em assumed} to be of the order of the electroweak scale. We reconsider here the possibility of treating $M_{SUSY}$ as a dynamical variable. Its expectation value should be determined by minimizing the vacuum energy, after including MSSM quantum corrections. We point out the crucial role of the cosmological term for a dynamical generation of the desired hierarchies $m_Z, M_{SUSY} << M_P$. Inspired by four-dimensional superstring models, we also consider the Yukawa couplings as dynamical variables. We find that the top Yukawa coupling is attracted close to its effective infrared fixed point, corresponding to a top-quark mass in the experimentally allowed range. As an illustrative example, we present the results of explicit calculations for a special case of the MSSM.

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arXiv1994

Beyond the MSSM

To increase the predictivity of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), one needs to go to an underlying, more fundamental theory, where at least some of the many MSSM parameters can be determined by symmetries or by dynamics. Progress may come from four-dimensional superstring solutions and their effective supergravities. Summarizing some recent work, we introduce a class of `large-hierarchy-compatible' (LHC) models that could naturally embed a stable hierarchy m_Z ~ m_{3/2} << \mpl. We discuss how in LHC models one may determine: 1) the explicit mass terms of the MSSM, as functions of the gravitino mass; 2) the scales of gauge and supersymmetry breaking, m_Z and m_{3/2}; 3) the heavy-fermion masses. Based on talks given at: the Second IFT Workshop on Yukawa Couplings, Gainesville, Florida, USA, 11--13 February 1994; the XXIXth Rencontres de Moriond, Méribel, France, 12--19 March 1994; the First International Conference on Phenomenology of Unification from Present to Future, Rome, Italy, 23--26 March 1994.

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arXiv1994

Mass formulae and natural hierarchy in string effective supergravities

We study some conditions for the hierarchy $m_{3/2} << M_P$ to occur naturally in a generic effective supergravity theory. Absence of fine-tuning and perturbative calculability require that the effective potential has a sliding gravitino mass and vanishing cosmological constant, up to ${\cal O}(m_{3/2}^4)$ corrections. In particular, cancellation of quadratically divergent contributions to the one-loop effective potential should take place, including the `hidden sector' of the theory. We show that these conditions can be met in the effective supergravities derived from four-dimensional superstrings, with supersymmetry broken either at the string tree level via compactification, or by non-perturbative effects such as gaugino condensation. A crucial role is played by some approximate scaling symmetries, which are remnants of discrete target-space dualities in the large moduli limit. We derive explicit formulae for the soft breaking terms arising from this class of `large hierarchy compatible' (LHC) supergravities.

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arXiv1993

Aspects of the electroweak phase transition in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We study the finite-temperature effective potential of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model in the full (mA, tan(beta)) parameter space. As for the features of the electroweak phase transition, we identify two possible sources of significant differences with respect to the Standard Model: a stop sector with little supersymmetry breaking makes the phase transition more strongly first-order, whereas a light CP-odd neutral boson weakens its first-order nature. After including the leading plasma effects, T=0 radiative corrections due to top and stop loops, and the most important experimental constraints, we find that the danger of washing out any baryon asymmetry created at the electroweak scale is in general no less than in the Standard Model.

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arXiv1993

On the nature of the electroweak phase transition

We discuss the finite-temperature effective potential of the Standard Model, $\veff$, with emphasis on the resummation of the most important infrared contributions. We compute the one-loop scalar and vector boson self-energies in the zero-momentum limit. By solving the corresponding set of gap equations, with the inclusion of subleading contributions, we find a non-vanishing magnetic mass for the $SU(2)$ gauge bosons. We comment on its possible implications for the nature of the electroweak phase transition. We also discuss the range of validity of our approximations and compare this with other approaches.

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arXiv1993

On the electroweak phase transition in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We study the finite-temperature effective potential of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, in the limit of only one light Higgs boson. Because of the large top Yukawa coupling, there can be significant differences with respect to the Standard Model case: for given values of the Higgs and top masses, little supersymmetry breaking in the stop sector can make the phase transition more strongly first-order. After including the full structure of the stop mass matrix, the most important experimental constraints and the leading plasma effects, we find that the present limits on Higgs and squark masses are still compatible with the scenario of electroweak baryogenesis, in a small region of parameter space corresponding to $m_h \simlt 70 \gev$ and $\msba \simlt 105 \gev$.

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arXiv1993

Supersymmetric Higgs Bosons: a Theoretical Introduction

After an introduction to the Higgs sector of supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model, recent results on radiative corrections to Higgs boson masses and couplings are reviewed. The phenomenology of supersymmetric Higgs searches at large hadron colliders and at a possible linear $\epem$ collider is also described. (Invited talk at the Workshop `Ten years of SUSY confronting experiment', CERN, 7--9 September 1992, to appear in the Proceedings)

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arXiv1992

Radiative corrections to the decay H==>hh in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We set up a suitable renormalization programme for the one-loop computation of the decay rate Gamma(H==>hh) in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. We then perform an explicit diagrammatic calculation, including the full contributions from top, bottom, stop and sbottom loops. We find that, for tan(beta) close to 1, and m_H greater than or approximately equal to 2 m_t, the results can significantly differ from those previously obtained in the effective potential approach. However, the latter method remains a good approximation in the region of parameter space which is most relevant for H searches at large hadron colliders.

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arXiv1992

On the phase transition in the scalar theory

The basic tool for the study of the electroweak phase transition is $V_{eff} (ϕ,T)$, the one-loop finite-temperature effective potential, improved by all-loop resummations of the most important infrared contributions. In this paper we perform, as a first step towards a full analysis of the Standard Model case, a detailed study of the effective potential of the scalar theory. We show that subleading corrections to the self-energies lead to spurious terms, linear in the field-dependent mass $m(ϕ)$, in the daisy-improved effective potential. Consistency at subleading order requires the introduction of superdaisy diagrams, which prevent the appearance of linear terms. The resulting $V_{eff}(ϕ,T)$ for the scalar theory hints at a phase transition which is either second-order or very weakly first-order.

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arXiv1992

Testing the Higgs Sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model at Large Hadron Colliders

We study the Higgs sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, in the context of proton-proton collisions at LHC and SSC energies. We assume a relatively heavy supersymmetric particle spectrum, and include recent results on one-loop radiative corrections to Higgs-boson masses and couplings. We begin by discussing present and future constraints from the LEP experiments. We then compute branching ratios and total widths for the neutral ($h,H,A$) and charged ($H^\pm$) Higgs particles. We present total cross-sections and event rates for the important discovery channels at the LHC and SSC. Promising physics signatures are given by $h \to γγ$, $H \to γγ$ or $Z^* Z^*$ or $τ^+ τ^-$, $A \to τ^+ τ^-$, and $t \to b H^+$ followed by $H^+ \to τ^+ ν_τ$, which should allow for an almost complete coverage of the parameter space of the model.

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