arXiv subjects

Henning Bahl

Publications and source records attributed to Henning Bahl.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Testing Exotic Scalars with HiggsBounds

The program HiggsBounds is a well-established tool for testing Beyond-the-Standard Model (BSM) theories with an extended Higgs sector against experimental limits from collider searches at LEP, Tevatron and LHC. Thus far, it could be applied to any neutral or charged Higgs bosons originating from the modified Higgs sector. Implicitly, these particles were assumed to exhibit a somewhat hierarchical Yukawa structure as present in the Standard Model, where in particular the couplings to first generation fermions could be neglected. In this work, we extend the HiggsBounds functionalities to go beyond these restrictions, thus making the code applicable to any neutral or charged BSM scalars. Moreover, we develop a new approach to implement experimental searches whose kinematic acceptance depends significantly on the values of the involved couplings. We achieve this by recasting the searches to general scalar models. Using this approach we incorporate relevant current experimental limits from LHC searches for exotic scalars, and present the implications of these limits for a dark matter scalar mediator model, a flipped Two-Higgs-Doublet Model and a supersymmetric model with R-parity violation.

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arXiv2022

Indirect CP probes of the Higgs--top-quark interaction at the LHC

The precise determination of the Higgs boson CP properties is among the most important goals for existing and future colliders. In this work, we evaluate existing constraints on the CP nature of the Higgs interaction with top quarks taking into account all relevant inclusive and differential Higgs boson measurements. We study the model dependence of these constraints by allowing for deviations from the SM predictions also in the Higgs couplings to massive vector boson, photons, and gluons. Additionally, we evaluate the future prospects for constraining the CP nature of the top-Yukawa coupling by total rate measurements. In this context, we propose an analysis strategy for measuring tH production at the HL-LHC without relying on assumptions about the Higgs CP character.

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arXiv2022

External leg corrections as an origin of large logarithms

The appearance of large logarithmic corrections is a well-known phenomenon in the presence of widely separated mass scales. In this work, we point out the existence of large Sudakov-like logarithmic contributions related to external-leg corrections of heavy scalar particles which cannot be resummed straight-forwardly using renormalisation group equations. Based on a toy model, we discuss in detail how these corrections appear in theories containing at least one light and one heavy particle that couple to each other with a potentially large trilinear coupling. We show how the occurrence of the large logarithms is related to infrared singularities. In addition to a discussion at the one-loop level, we also explicitly derive the two-loop corrections containing the large logarithms. We point out in this context the importance of choosing an on-shell-like renormalisation scheme. As exemplary applications, we present results for the two-loop external-leg corrections for the decay of a gluino into a scalar top quark and a top quark in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model as well as for a heavy Higgs boson decay into two tau leptons in the singlet-extended Two-Higgs-Doublet Model.

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arXiv2022

Two-loop matching of renormalizable operators: general considerations and applications

Low-energy effective field theories (EFT) encode information about the physics at high energies--i.e., the high-energy theory (HET). To extract this information the EFT and the HET have to be matched to each other. At the one-loop level, general results for the matching of renormalizable operators have already been obtained in the literature. In the present paper, we take a step towards a better understanding of renormalizable operator matching at the two-loop level: Focusing on the diagrammatic method, we discuss in detail the various contributions to two-loop matching conditions and compare different approaches to derive them. Moreover, we discuss which observables are best suited for the derivation of matching conditions. As a concrete application, we calculate the $\mathcal{O}\left(α_t α_s \right)$ and $\mathcal{O} \left(α_t^2 \right)$ matching conditions of the scalar four-point couplings between the Standard Model (SM) and the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model (THDM) as well as the THDM and the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). We use the derived formulas to improve the prediction of the SM-like Higgs mass in the MSSM using the THDM as EFT.

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arXiv2022

Constraining CP-violation in the Higgs-top-quark interaction using machine-learning-based inference

While CP violation in the Higgs interactions with massive vector boson is already tightly constrained, the CP nature of the Higgs interactions with fermions is far less constrained. In this work, we assess the potential of machine-learning-based inference methods to constrain CP violation in the Higgs top-Yukawa coupling. This approach enables the use of the full available kinematic information. Concentrating on top-associated Higgs production with the Higgs decaying to two photons, we derive expected exclusion bounds for the LHC and the high-luminosity phase of the LHC. We also study the dependence of these bounds on the Higgs interaction with massive vector bosons and their robustness against theoretical uncertainties. In addition to deriving expected exclusion bounds, we discuss at which level a non-zero CP-violating top-Yukawa coupling can be distinguished from the SM. Moreover, we analyze which kinematic distributions are most sensitive to a CP-violating top-Yukawa coupling.

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arXiv2022

Constraining the CP structure of Higgs-fermion couplings with a global LHC fit, the electron EDM and baryogenesis

CP violation in the Higgs couplings to fermions is an intriguing, but not yet extensively explored possibility. We use inclusive and differential LHC Higgs boson measurements to fit the CP structure of the Higgs Yukawa couplings. Starting with simple effective models featuring CP violation in a single Higgs-fermion coupling, we probe well-motivated models with up to nine free parameters. We also investigate the complementarity of LHC constraints with the electron electric dipole moment bound, taking into account the possibility of a modified electron Yukawa coupling, and assess to which extent CP violation in the Higgs-fermion couplings can contribute to the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. Even after including the recent analysis of angular correlations in $H\toτ^+τ^-$ decays, we find that a complex tau Yukawa coupling alone may be able to account for the observed baryon asymmetry, but with large uncertainties in the baryogenesis calculation. A combination of complex top and bottom quark Yukawa couplings yields a result four times larger than the sum of their separate contributions, but remains insufficient to account for the observed baryon asymmetry.

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arXiv2022

The forgotten channels: charged Higgs boson decays to a $W^\pm$ and a non-SM-like Higgs boson

The presence of charged Higgs bosons is a generic prediction of multiplet extensions of the Standard Model (SM) Higgs sector. Focusing on the Two-Higgs-Doublet-Model (2HDM), we discuss the charged Higgs boson collider phenomenology in the theoretically and experimentally viable parameter space. While almost all existing experimental searches at the LHC target the fermionic decays of charged Higgs bosons, we point out that the bosonic decay channels -- especially the decay into a non-SM-like Higgs boson and a $W$ boson -- often dominate over the fermionic channels. Moreover, we revisit two genuine BSM effects on the properties of the discovered Higgs boson -- the charged Higgs contribution to the diphoton rate and the Higgs decay to two light Higgs bosons -- and their implication for the charged Higgs boson phenomenology. As main result of the present paper, we propose five two-dimensional benchmark scenarios with distinct phenomenological features in order to facilitate the design of dedicated LHC searches for charged Higgs bosons decaying into a $W$ boson and a light, non-SM-like Higgs boson.

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arXiv2021

Indirect $\mathcal{CP}$ probes of the Higgs-top-quark interaction: current LHC constraints and future opportunities

The $\mathcal{CP}$ structure of the Higgs boson in its coupling to the particles of the Standard Model is amongst the most important Higgs boson properties which have not yet been constrained with high precision. In this study, all relevant inclusive and differential Higgs boson measurements from the ATLAS and CMS experiments are used to constrain the $\mathcal{CP}$-nature of the top-Yukawa interaction. The model dependence of the constraints is studied by successively allowing for new physics contributions to the couplings of the Higgs boson to massive vector bosons, to photons, and to gluons. In the most general case, we find that the current data still permits a significant $\mathcal{CP}$-odd component in the top-Yukawa coupling. Furthermore, we explore the prospects to further constrain the $\mathcal{CP}$ properties of this coupling with future LHC data by determining $tH$ production rates independently from possible accompanying variations of the $t\bar t H$ rate. This is achieved via a careful selection of discriminating observables. At the HL-LHC, we find that evidence for $tH$ production at the Standard Model rate can be achieved in the Higgs to diphoton decay channel alone.

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arXiv2021

Measuring single-top-associated Higgs production at the HL-LHC

Precision measurements of top-associated Higgs production are an important ingredient to unravel the $\mathcal{CP}$ nature of the Higgs boson. In this work, we constraint the $\mathcal{CP}$ nature of the top-Yukawa coupling taking into account all relevant inclusive and differential Higgs boson measurements. Based upon this fit, we show that it is crucial to disentangle single- and di-top-associated Higgs production for tightening indirect constraints on a $\mathcal{CP}$-odd top-Yukawa coupling in the future. In this context, we propose an analysis strategy for measuring $tH$ production at the HL-LHC without relying on assumptions about the Higgs $\mathcal{CP}$ character.

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arXiv2021

Hybrid calculation of the MSSM Higgs boson masses using the complex THDM as EFT

Recently, the Higgs boson masses in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) and their mixing have been calculated using the complex Two-Higgs-DoubletModel (cTHDM) as an effective field theory (EFT) of the MSSM. Here, we discuss the implementation of this calculation, which we improve in several aspects, into the hybrid framework of FeynHiggs by combing the cTHDM-EFT calculation with the existing fixed-order calculation. This combination allows accurate predictions also in the intermediate regime where some SUSY particles are relatively light, some relatively heavy and some in between. Moreover, the implementation provides precise predictions for the Higgs decay rates and production cross-sections.

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arXiv2021

Precise prediction for the mass of the light MSSM Higgs boson for the case of a heavy gluino

State-of-the-art predictions for the mass of the lightest MSSM Higgs boson usually involve the resummation of higher-order logarithmic contributions obtained within an effective-field-theory (EFT) approach, often combined with a fixed-order calculation into a hybrid result. For the phenomenologically interesting case of a significant hierarchy between the gluino mass and the masses of the scalar top quarks the predictions suffer from large theoretical uncertainties related to non-decoupling power-enhanced gluino contributions in the EFT results employing the $\overline{\text{DR}}$ renormalisation scheme. We demonstrate that the theoretical predictions in the heavy gluino region are vastly improved by the introduction of a suitable renormalisation scheme for the EFT calculation. It is shown that within this scheme a recently proposed resummation of large gluino contributions is absorbed into the model parameters, resulting in reliable and numerically stable predictions in the heavy-gluino gluino region. We also discuss the integration of the results into the public code FeynHiggs.

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arXiv2020

The light MSSM Higgs boson mass for large $\tanβ$ and complex input parameters

We discuss various improvements of the prediction for the light MSSM Higgs boson mass in the hybrid framework of the public code FeynHiggs, which combines fixed-order and effective field theory results. First, we discuss the resummation of logarithmic contributions proportional to the bottom-Yukawa coupling including two-loop $Δ_b$ resummation. For large $\tanβ$, these improvements can lead to large upward shifts of the Higgs mass compared to the existing fixed-order calculations. Second, we improve the implemented EFT calculation by fully taking into account the effect of $\mathcal{CP}$-violating phases. As a third improvement, we discuss the inclusion of partial N$^3$LL resummation. The presented improvements will be implemented into FeynHiggs.

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arXiv2020

Theoretical uncertainties in the MSSM Higgs boson mass calculation

The remaining theoretical uncertainties from unknown higher-order corrections in the prediction for the light Higgs-boson mass of the MSSM are estimated. The uncertainties associated with three different approaches that are implemented in the publicly available code FeynHiggs are compared: the fixed-order diagrammatic approach, suitable for low SUSY scales, the effective field theory (EFT) approach, suitable for high SUSY scales, and the hybrid approach which combines the fixed-order and the EFT approaches. It is demonstrated for a simple single-scale scenario that the result based on the hybrid approach yields a precise prediction for low, intermediate and high SUSY scales with a theoretical uncertainty of up to $\sim 1.5$ GeV for large stop mixing and $\sim 0.5$ GeV for small stop mixing. The uncertainty estimate of the hybrid calculation approaches the uncertainty estimate of the fixed-order result for low SUSY scales and the uncertainty estimate of the EFT approach for high SUSY scales, while for intermediate scales it is reduced compared to both of the individual results. The estimate of the theoretical uncertainty is also investigated in scenarios with more than one mass scale. A significantly enhanced uncertainty is found in scenarios where the gluino is substantially heavier than the scalar top quarks. The uncertainty estimate presented in this paper will be part of the public code FeynHiggs.

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arXiv2019

Precision calculations in the MSSM Higgs-boson sector with FeynHiggs 2.14

We present an overview of the status and recent developments of FeynHiggs (current version: 2.14.3) since version 2.12.2. The main purpose of FeynHiggs is the calculation of the Higgs-boson masses and other physical observables in the MSSM. For a precise prediction of the Higgs-boson masses for low and high SUSY scales, state-of-the-art fixed-order and effective-field-theory calculations are combined. We first discuss improvements of the fixed-order calculation, namely an optional $\overline{\text{DR}}$ renormalization of the stop sector and a renormalization of the Higgs sector ensuring the chosen input mass to be equivalent with the corresponding physical mass. Second, we describe improvements of the EFT calculation, i.e. an implementation of non-degenerate threshold corrections as well as an interpolation for complex parameters. Lastly, we highlight some improvements of the code structure easing future extensions of FeynHiggs to models beyond the MSSM.

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arXiv2019

MSSM Higgs Boson Searches at the LHC: Benchmark Scenarios for Run 2 and Beyond

We propose six new benchmark scenarios for Higgs boson searches in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Our calculations follow the recommendations of the LHC Higgs Cross Section Working Group, and benefit from recent developments in the predictions for the Higgs-boson masses and mixing. All of the proposed scenarios are compatible with the most recent results from Run 2 of the LHC. In particular, they feature a scalar with mass and couplings compatible with those of the observed Higgs boson, and a significant portion of their parameter space is allowed by the limits from the searches for SUSY particles and additional Higgs bosons. We define a scenario where all SUSY particles are relatively heavy, and two scenarios with light colorless SUSY particles (charginos, neutralinos and, in one case, staus). In addition, we present two scenarios featuring alignment without decoupling, realized with either the lighter or the heavier scalar being SM-like, and a scenario with CP violation.

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arXiv2019

Constraining the MSSM Higgs sector using precise Higgs mass predictions

Different approaches are used for the calculation of the SM-like Higgs boson mass in the MSSM: the fixed-order diagrammatic approach is accurate for low SUSY scales; the EFT approach,for high SUSY scales. Hybrid approaches, combining fixed-order and EFT calculations, allow to obtain a precise prediction also for intermediary SUSY scales. Here, we briefly discuss the hybrid approach implemented into the code FeynHiggs. In addition, we show how the refined Higgs mass prediction was used to define new MSSM Higgs benchmark scenarios.

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arXiv2019

MSSM Higgs Benchmark Scenarios for Run 2 and Beyond: the low $\tanβ$ region

We propose two new benchmark scenarios for Higgs-boson searches in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). These scenarios are specifically designed for the low $\tanβ$ region. A light Higgs-boson mass prediction compatible with the observed value of $125$ GeV is ensured in almost the entire parameter space by employing a flexible supersymmetric (SUSY) mass scale, reaching values of up to $10^{16}$ GeV. The MSSM Higgs-sector predictions are evaluated in an effective field theory (EFT) framework that exhibits a Two-Higgs-Doublet-Model at the low scale. In the first scenario all SUSY particles are relatively heavy, whereas the second scenario features light neutralinos and charginos. Both scenarios are largely compatible with the most recent results from Run 2 of the LHC, and we highlight the main phenomenological features relevant for future LHC searches. In particular, we provide a detailed discussion of heavy Higgs-boson decays to neutralinos and charginos in the second scenario, and the arising collider signatures, in order to facilitate the design of dedicated LHC searches in the near future.

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arXiv2019

Pole mass determination in presence of heavy particles

We investigate the determination of the Higgs-boson propagator poles in the MSSM. Based upon earlier works, we point out that in case of a large hierarchy between the electroweak scale and one or more SUSY masses a numerical determination with $\overline{\text{DR}}$ Higgs field renormalization induces higher order terms which would cancel in a more complete calculation. The origin of these terms is the momentum dependence of contributions involving at least one of the heavy particles. We present two different methods to avoid their appearance. In the first approach, the poles are determined by expanding around the one-loop solutions. In the second approach, a "heavy-OS" Higgs field renormalization is employed in order to absorb the momentum dependence of heavy contributions. We will find that the first approach leads to an unwanted behaviour of the Higgs boson mass predictions close to crossing points where two Higgs bosons that mix with each other are almost mass degenerate. These problems are avoided in the second approach, which became the default approach used in the public code FeynHiggs. Despite the discussion being very specific to the MSSM, the argumentation and the methods presented in this work are straightforwardly applicable to the determination of propagator poles in other models involving a large mass hierarchy.

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