arXiv subjects

Florian Staub

Publications and source records attributed to Florian Staub.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Perturbativity Constraints in BSM Models

Phenomenological studies performed for non-supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model usually use tree-level parameters as input to define the scalar sector of the model. This implicitly assumes that a full on-shell calculation of the scalar sector is possible - and meaningful. However, this doesn't have to be the case as we show explicitly at the example of the Georgi-Machacek model. This model comes with an appealing custodial symmetry to explain the smallness of the $ρ$ parameter. However, the model cannot be renormalised on-shell without breaking the custodial symmetry. Moreover, we find that it can often happen that the radiative corrections are so large that any consideration based on a perturbative expansion appears to be meaningless: counter-terms to quartic couplings can become much larger than $4π$ and/or two-loop mass corrections can become larger than the one-loop ones. Therefore, conditions are necessary to single out parameter regions which cannot be treated perturbatively. We propose and discuss different sets of such perturbativity conditions and show their impact on the parameter space of the Georgi-Machacek model. Moreover, the proposed conditions are general enough that they can be applied to other models as well. We also point out that the vacuum stability constraints in the Georgi-Machacek model, which have so far only been applied at the tree level, receive crucial radiative corrections. We show that large regions of the parameter space which feature a stable electroweak vacuum at the loop level would have been - wrongly - ruled out by the tree-level conditions.

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arXiv2017

Naturalness and a light $Z'$

Models with a light, additional gauge boson are attractive extensions of the standard model. Often these models are only considered as effective low energy theory without any assumption about an UV completion. This leaves not only the hierarchy problem of the SM unsolved, but introduces a copy of it because of the new fundamental scalars responsible for breaking the new gauge group. A possible solution is to embed these models into a supersymmetric framework. However, this gives rise to an additional source of fine-tuning compared to the MSSM and poses the question how natural such a setup is. One might expect that the additional fine-tuning is huge, namely, $O(M^2_{\rm SUSY}/m^2_{Z'})$. In this paper we point out that this is not necessarily the case. We show that it is possible to find a focus point behaviour also in the new sector in co-existence to the MSSM focus point. We call this 'Double Focus Point Supersymmetry'. Moreover, we stress the need for a proper inclusion of radiative corrections in the fine-tuning calculation: a tree-level estimate would lead to predictions for the tuning which can be wrong by many orders of magnitude. As showcase, we use the $U(1)_{B-L}$ extended MSSM and discuss possible consequence of the observed $^8\textrm{Be}$ anomaly. However, similar features are expected for other models with an extended gauge group which involve potentially large Yukawa-like interactions of the new scalars.

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arXiv2017

Supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric models without catastrophic Goldstone bosons

The calculation of the Higgs mass in general renormalisable field theories has been plagued by the so-called "Goldstone Boson Catastrophe", where light (would-be) Goldstone bosons give infra-red divergent loop integrals. In supersymmetric models, previous approaches included a workaround that ameliorated the problem for most, but not all, parameter space regions; while giving divergent results everywhere for non-supersymmetric models! We present an implementation of a general solution to the problem in the public code SARAH, along with new calculations of some necessary loop integrals and generic expressions. We discuss the validation of our code in the Standard Model, where we find remarkable agreement with the known results. We then show new applications in Split SUSY, the NMSSM, the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model, and the Georgi-Machacek model. In particular, we take some first steps to exploring where the habit of using tree-level mass relations in non-supersymmetric models breaks down, and show that the loop corrections usually become very large well before naive perturbativity bounds are reached.

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arXiv2017

Improved predictions for intermediate and heavy Supersymmetry in the MSSM and beyond

For a long time, the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with light masses for the supersymmetric states was considered as the most natural extension of the Standard Model of particle physics. Consequently, a valid approximation was to match the MSSM to the precision measurement directly at the electroweak scale. This approach was also utilized by all dedicated spectrum generators for the MSSM. However, the higher the supersymmetric (SUSY) scale is, the bigger the uncertainties which are introduced by this matching. We point out important consequences of a two-scale matching, where the running parameters within the SM are calculated at $M_Z$ and evaluated up to the SUSY scale, where they are matched to the full model. We show the impact on gauge coupling unification as well as the SUSY mass spectrum. Also the Higgs mass prediction for large supersymmetric masses has been improved by performing the calculation within an effective SM. The approach presented here is now also available in the spectrum generator SPheno. Moreover, also SARAH was extended accordingly and gives the possibility to study these effects now in many different supersymmetric models.

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arXiv2017

Spontaneous Charge Breaking in the NMSSM - Dangerous or not?

We investigate the impact of charge-breaking minima on the vacuum stability of the NMSSM. We find that, in contrast to Two-Higgs-Doublet Models like the MSSM, at both tree- and loop-level there exists global charge-breaking minima. Consequently, many regions of parameter space are rendered metastable, which otherwise would have been considered stable if these charge-breaking minima were neglected. However, the inclusion of these new scalar field directions has little impact on otherwise metastable vacuum configurations.

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arXiv2017

Revisiting fine-tuning in the MSSM

We evaluate the amount of fine-tuning in constrained versions of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), with different boundary conditions at the GUT scale. Specifically we study the fully constrained version as well as the cases of non-universal Higgs and gaugino masses. We allow for the presence of additional non-holomorphic soft-terms which we show further relax the fine-tuning. Of particular importance is the possibility of a Higgsino mass term and we discuss possible origins for such a term in UV complete models. We point out that loop corrections typically lead to a reduction in the fine-tuning by a factor of about two compared to the estimate at tree-level, which has been overlooked in many recent works. Taking these loop corrections into account, we discuss the impact of current limits from SUSY searches and dark matter on the fine-tuning. Contrary to common lore, we find that the MSSM fine-tuning can be as small as 10 while remaining consistent with all experimental constraints. If, in addition, the dark matter abundance is fully explained by the neutralino LSP, the fine-tuning can still be as low as $\sim$ 20 in the presence of additional non-holomorphic soft-terms. We also discuss future prospects of these models and find that the MSSM will remain natural even in the case of a non-discovery in the foreseeable future.

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arXiv2016

Soft Gamma Rays from Heavy WIMPs

We propose an explanation of the galactic center gamma ray excess by supersymmetric WIMPs as heavy as 500 GeV. The lightest neutralino annihilates into vector-like leptons or quarks which cascade decay through intermediate Higgs bosons. Due to the long decay chains, the gamma ray spectrum is much softer than naively expected and peaks at GeV energies. The model predicts correlated diboson and dijet signatures to be tested at the LHC.

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arXiv2016

Validity of the CMSSM interpretation of the diphoton excess

It has been proposed that the observed diphoton excess at 750 GeV could be explained within the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model via resonantly produced stop bound states. We reanalyze this scenario critically and extend previous work to include the constraints from the stability of the electroweak vacuum and from the decays of the stoponium into a pair of Higgs bosons. It is shown that the interesting regions of parameter space with a light stop and Higgs of the desired mass are ruled out by these constraints. This conclusion is not affected by the presence of the bound states because the binding energy is usually very small in the regions of parameter space which can explain the Higgs mass. Thus, this also leads to strong constraints on the diphoton production cross section which is in general too small.

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arXiv2016

Supersoft Supersymmetry, Conformal Sequestering, and Single Scale Supersymmetry Breaking

Supersymmetric Standard Models (SSMs) with Dirac gauginos have the appealing supersoft property that they only cause finite contributions to scalar masses. Considering gauge mediated SUSY breaking with conformal sequestering and assuming there is one and only one fundamental parameter with dimension mass arising from supersymmetry breaking, we find a cancellation between the dominant terms that contribute to the EWFT. The resulting EWFT measure can be of order one even for supersymmetric particle masses and $μ$-terms in the TeV range.

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arXiv2016

A closer look at non-decoupling D-Terms

Non-Decoupling D-Terms are an attractive possibility to enhance the tree-level mass of the standard model like Higgs boson in supersymmetric models. We discuss here for the case of a new Abelian gauge group two effects usually neglected in literature: (i) the size of the additional radiative corrections to the Higgs mass due to the presence of the new gauge coupling, and (ii) the impact of gauge kinetic mixing. It is shown that both effects reduce to some extent the positive effect of the non-decoupling D-terms on the Higgs mass.

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arXiv2016

A Flavor Kit for BSM models

We present a new kit for the study of flavor observables in models beyond the standard model. The setup is based on the public codes SARAH and SPheno and allows for an easy implementation of new observables. The Wilson coefficients of the corresponding operators in the effective Lagrangian are computed by SPheno modules written by SARAH. New operators can also be added by the user in a modular way. For this purpose a handy Mathematica package called PreSARAH has been developed. This uses FeynArts and FormCalc to derive the generic form factors at tree- and 1-loop levels and to generate the necessary input files for SARAH. This framework has been used to implement BR($\ell_α\to \ell_βγ$), BR($\ell_α\to 3\, \ell_β$), CR($μ-e,A$), BR($τ\to P \, \ell$), BR($h\to \ell_α\ell_β$), BR($Z\to \ell_α\ell_β$), BR($B_{s,d}^0 \to \ell \bar{\ell}$), BR($\bar B \to X_sγ$), BR($\bar B \to X_s \ell \bar{\ell}$), BR($\bar B \to X_{d,s} ν\bar ν$), BR($K^+ \to π^+ ν\bar ν$), BR($K_L \to π^0 ν\bar ν$), $ΔM_{B_s,B_d}$, $ΔM_K$, $\varepsilon_K$, BR($B \to K μ\barμ$), BR($B\to \ell ν$), BR($D_s \to \ell ν$) and BR($K \to \ell ν$) in SARAH. Predictions for these observables can now be obtained in a wide range of SUSY and non-SUSY models. Finally, the user can use the same approach to easily compute additional observables.

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arXiv2016

The Higgs mass in the CP violating MSSM, NMSSM, and beyond

We discuss the automatised calculation of the Higgs mass in renormalisable supersymmetric models with complex parameters at the two-loop level. Our setup is based on the public codes SARAH and SPheno, which can now compute the two-loop corrections to masses of all neutral scalars in such theories. The generic ansatz for these calculations and the handling of the `Goldstone Boson catastrophe' is described. It is shown that we find perfect agreement with other existing two-loop calculations performed in the DR-bar scheme. We also use the functionality to derive results for the MSSM and NMSSM not available before: the Higgs mass in the constrained version of the complex MSSM, and the impact of CP phases in the two-loop corrections beyond order alpha-strong alpha-top for the scale invariant NMSSM are briefly analysed.

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arXiv2016

The Higgs Mass in the MSSM at two-loop order beyond minimal flavour violation

Soft supersymmetry-breaking terms provide a wealth of new potential sources of flavour violation, which are tightly constrained by precision experiments. This has posed a challenge to construct flavour models which both explain the structure of the Standard Model Yukawa couplings and also predict soft-breaking patterns that are compatible with these constraints. While such models have been studied in great detail, the impact of flavour violating soft terms on the Higgs mass at the two-loop level has been assumed to be small or negligible. In this letter, we show that large flavour violation in the up-squark sector can give a positive or negative mass shift to the SM-like Higgs of several GeV, without being in conflict with other observations. We investigate in which regions of the parameter space these effects can be expected.

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arXiv2016

On the MSSM Higgsino mass and fine tuning

It is often argued that low fine tuning in the MSSM necessarily requires a rather light Higgsino. In this note we show that this need not be the case when a more complete set of soft SUSY breaking mass terms are included. In particular an Higgsino mass term, that correlates the $μ-$term contribution with the soft SUSY-breaking Higgsino masses, significantly reduces the fine tuning even for Higgsinos in the TeV mass range where its relic abundance means it can make up all the dark matter.

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arXiv2016

Tutorial to SARAH

I give in this brief tutorial a short practical introduction to the Mathematica package SARAH. First, it is shown how an existing model file can be changed to implement a new model in SARAH. In the second part, masses, vertices and renormalisation group equations are calculated with SARAH. Finally, the main commands to generate model files and output for other tools are summarised.

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arXiv2016

Introduction to SARAH and related tools

I give in this lecture an overview of the features of the Mathematica package SARAH, and explain how it can be used together with other codes to study all aspects of a BSM model. The focus will be on the description of the analytical calculations which SARAH can perform and how this information is used to generate automatically a spectrum generator based on SPheno. I also summarize the main aspects of the other interfaces to public codes like HiggsBounds/HiggsSignals, FeynArts/FormCalc, CalcHep, MicrOmegas, WHIZARD, Vevacious or MadGraph. The appendix contains a short tutorial about the implementation and usage of a new model.

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arXiv2016

A constrained supersymmetric left-right model

We present a supersymmetric left-right model which predicts gauge coupling unification close to the string scale and extra vector bosons at the TeV scale. The subtleties in constructing a model which is in agreement with the measured quark masses and mixing for such a low left-right breaking scale are discussed. It is shown that in the constrained version of this model radiative breaking of the gauge symmetries is possible and a SM-like Higgs is obtained. Additional CP-even scalars of a similar mass or even much lighter are possible. The expected mass hierarchies for the supersymmetric states differ clearly from those of the constrained MSSM. In particular, the lightest down-type squark, which is a mixture of the sbottom and extra vector-like states, is always lighter than the stop. We also comment on the model's capability to explain current anomalies observed at the LHC.

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arXiv2016

Precision tools and models to narrow in on the 750 GeV diphoton resonance

The hints for a new resonance at 750 GeV from ATLAS and CMS have triggered a significant amount of attention. Since the simplest extensions of the standard model cannot accommodate the observation, many alternatives have been considered to explain the excess. Here we focus on several proposed renormalisable weakly-coupled models and revisit results given in the literature. We point out that physically important subtleties are often missed or neglected. To facilitate the study of the excess we have created a collection of 40 model files, selected from recent literature, for the Mathematica package SARAH. With SARAH one can generate files to perform numerical studies using the tailor-made spectrum generators FlexibleSUSY and SPheno. These have been extended to automatically include crucial higher order corrections to the diphoton and digluon decay rates for both CP-even and CP-odd scalars. Additionally, we have extended the UFO and CalcHep interfaces of SARAH, to pass the precise information about the effective vertices from the spectrum generator to a Monte-Carlo tool. Finally, as an example to demonstrate the power of the entire setup, we present a new supersymmetric model that accommodates the diphoton excess, explicitly demonstrating how a large width can be obtained. We explicitly show several steps in detail to elucidate the use of these public tools in the precision study of this model.

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