arXiv subjects

James D. Wells

Publications and source records attributed to James D. Wells.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

Pursuing the origin of electroweak symmetry breaking: a 'Bayesian Physics' argument for a 600 GeV e+e- collider

High-energy data has been accumulating over the last ten years, and it should not be ignored when making decisions about the future experimental program. In particular, we argue that the electroweak data collected at LEP, SLC and Tevatron indicate a light scalar particle with mass less than 500 GeV. This result is based on considering a wide variety of theories including the Standard Model, supersymmetry, large extra dimensions, and composite models. We argue that a high luminosity, 600 GeV e+e- collider would then be the natural choice to feel confident about finding and studying states connected to electroweak symmetry breaking. We also argue from the data that worrying about resonances at multi-TeV energies as the only signal for electroweak symmetry breaking is not as important a discovery issue for the next generation of colliders. Such concerns should perhaps be replaced with more relevant discovery issues such as a Higgs boson that decays invisibly, and ``new physics'' that could conspire with a heavier Higgs boson to accommodate precision electroweak data. An e+e- collider with energy less than about 600 GeV is ideally suited to cover these possibilities.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Graviscalars from higher-dimensional metrics and curvature-Higgs mixing

We investigate the properties of scalar fields arising from gravity propagating in extra dimensions. In the scenario of large extra dimensions, proposed by Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos and Dvali, graviscalar Kaluza-Klein excitations are less important than the spin-2 counterparts in most processes. However, there are important exceptions. The Higgs boson can mix to these particles by coupling to the Ricci scalar. Because of the large number of states involved, this mixing leads, in practice, to a sizeable invisible width for the Higgs. In the Randall-Sundrum scenario, the only graviscalar is the radion. It can be produced copiously at hadron colliders by virtue of its enhanced coupling to two gluons through the trace anomaly of QCD. We study both the production and decay of the radion, and compare it to the Standard Model Higgs boson. Furthermore, we find that radion detectability depends crucially on the curvature-Higgs boson mixing parameter.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Quantum Gravity and Extra Dimensions at High-Energy Colliders

Recently it has been pointed out that the characteristic quantum-gravity scale could be as low as the weak scale in theories with gravity propagating in higher dimensions. The observed smallness of Newton's constant is a consequence of the large compactified volume of the extra dimensions. We investigate the consequences of this supposition for high-energy collider experiments. We do this by first compactifying the higher dimensional theory and constructing a 3+1-dimensional low-energy effective field theory of the graviton Kaluza-Klein excitations and their interactions with ordinary matter. We then consider graviton production processes, and select photon plus missing energy and jet plus missing energy signatures for careful study. We find that both a 1 TeV e+e- collider and the CERN LHC will be able to reliably and perturbatively probe the fundamental gravity scale up to several TeV, with the precise value depending on the number of extra dimensions. Similarly, searches at LEP2 and the Tevatron are able to probe this scale up to approximately 1 TeV. We also discuss virtual graviton exchange, which induces local dimension-eight operators associated with the square of the energy-momentum tensor. We estimate the size of such operators and study their effects on two fermions to two photons observables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Phenomenology of deflected anomaly-mediation

We explore the phenomenology of a class of models with anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking. These models retain the successful flavor properties of the minimal scenario while avoiding the tachyons. The mass spectrum is predicted in terms of a few parameters. However various qualitatively different spectra are possible, often strongly different from the ones usually employed to explore capabilities of new accelerators. One stable feature is the limited spread of the spectrum, so that squarks and gluinos could be conceivably produced at TEVII. The lightest superpartner of standard particles is often a charged slepton or a neutral higgsino. It behaves as a stable particle in collider experiments but it decays at or before nucleosynthesis. We identify the experimental signatures at hadron colliders that can help distinguish this scenario from the usual ones.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Electroweak precision measurements and collider probes of the Standard Model with large extra dimensions

The elementary particles of the Standard Model may live in more than 3+1 dimensions. We study the consequences of large compactified dimensions on scattering and decay observables at high-energy colliders. Our analysis includes global fits to electroweak precision data, indirect tests at high-energy electron-positron colliders (LEP2 and NLC), and direct probes of the Kaluza-Klein resonances at hadron colliders (Tevatron and LHC). The present limits depend sensitively on the Higgs sector, both the mass of the Higgs boson and how many dimensions it feels. If the Higgs boson is trapped on a 3+1 dimensional wall with the fermions, large Higgs masses (up to 500 GeV) and relatively light Kaluza-Klein mass scales (less than 4 TeV) can provide a good fit to precision data. That is, a light Higgs boson is not necessary to fit the electroweak precision data, as it is in the Standard Model. If the Higgs boson propagates in higher dimensions, precision data prefer a light Higgs boson (less than 260 GeV), and a higher compactification scale (greater than 3.8 TeV). Future colliders can probe much larger scales. For example, a 1.5 TeV electron-positron linear collider can indirectly discover Kaluza-Klein excitations up to 31 TeV if 500 fb^-1 integrated luminosity is obtained.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Phenomenological consequences of supersymmetry with anomaly-induced masses

In the supersymmetric standard model there exist pure gravity contributions to the soft mass parameters which arise via the superconformal anomaly. We consider the low-energy phenomenology with a mass spectrum dominated by the anomaly-induced contributions. In a well-defined minimal model we calculate electroweak symmetry breaking parameters, scalar masses, and the full one-loop splitting of the degenerate Wino states. The most distinctive features are gaugino masses proportional to the corresponding gauge coupling beta-functions, the possibility of a Wino as the lightest supersymmetric particle, mass degeneracy of sleptons, and a very massive gravitino. Unique signatures at high-energy colliders include dilepton and single lepton final states, accompanied by missing energy and displaced vertices. We also point out that this scenario has the cosmological advantage of ameliorating the gravitino problem. Finally, the primordial gravitino decay can produce a relic density of Wino particles close to the critical value.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Motivation and detectability of an invisibly-decaying Higgs boson at the Fermilab Tevatron

A Higgs boson with mass below 150 GeV has a total decay width of less than 20 MeV into accessible Standard Model states. This narrow width means that the usual branching fractions for such a light Higgs boson are highly susceptible to any new particles to which it has unsuppressed couplings. In particular, there are many reasonable and interesting theoretical ideas that naturally imply an invisibly-decaying Higgs boson. The motivations include models with light supersymmetric neutralinos, spontaneously broken lepton number, radiatively generated neutrino masses, additional singlet scalar(s), or right-handed neutrinos in the extra dimensions of TeV gravity. We discuss these approaches to model building and their implications for Higgs boson phenomenology in future Tevatron runs. We find, for example, that the Tevatron with 30 fb^{-1} integrated luminosity can make a 3σobservation in the l+ l- plus missing transverse energy channel for a 125 GeV Higgs boson that is produced with the same strength as the Standard Model Higgs boson but always decays invisibly. We also analyze the b anti-b plus missing transverse energy final state signal and conclude that it is not as sensitive, but it may assist in excluding the possibility of an invisibly-decaying Higgs boson or enable confirmation of an observed signal in the dilepton channel. We argue that a comprehensive Higgs search at the Tevatron should include the possibility that the Higgs boson decays invisibly.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Superheavy Supersymmetry

One way to suppress flavor changing neutral currents or CP violating processes in supersymmetry is to make at least some of the first two generations' scalars superheavy (above ~20 TeV). We summarize the motivations and challenges, theoretically and phenomenologically, for superheavy supersymmetry. We then argue for more viable alternatives on the superheavy theme and are led to models where the heavy spectrum follows a pattern of masses similar to what arises from gauge-mediation or with a "hybrid" spectrum of light and heavy masses based on each particle's transformation under a global SU(5). In the end, despite the differences between the competing ideas, a self-consistent natural theory with superheavy masses seems to prefer low-energy supersymmetry breaking with possible correlations among the light sparticle masses. The resulting light gravitino and its couplings to matter could also impact the discovery capabilities and analyses of these models at colliders. In addition, we comment on how the presence of superheavy states may influence the light spectrum, and how this may help efforts to distinguish between theories post-discovery.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Illuminating dark matter and primordial black holes with interstellar antiprotons

Interstellar antiproton fluxes can arise from dark matter annihilating or decaying into quarks or gluons that subsequently fragment into antiprotons. Evaporation of primordial black holes also can produce a significant antiproton cosmic-ray flux. Since the background of secondary antiprotons from spallation has an interstellar energy spectrum that peaks at $\sim 2\gev$ and falls rapidly for energies below this, low-energy measurements of cosmic antiprotons are useful in the search for exotic antiproton sources. However, measurement of the flux near the earth is challenged by significant uncertainties from the effects of the solar wind. We suggest evading this problem and more effectively probing dark-matter signals by placing an antiproton spectrometer aboard an interstellar probe currently under discussion. We address the experimental challenges of a light, low-power-consuming detector, and present an initial design of such an instrument. This experimental effort could significantly increase our ability to detect, and have confidence in, a signal of exotic, nonstandard antiproton sources. Furthermore, solar modulation effects in the heliosphere would be better quantified and understood by comparing results to inverse modulated data derived from existing balloon and space-based detectors near the earth.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Supersymmetric dark matter with a cosmological constant

Recent measurements of cosmological parameters from the microwave background radiation, type Ia supernovae, and the age of globular clusters help determine the relic matter density in the universe. It is first shown with mild cosmological assumptions that the relic matter density satisfies $Ω_M h^2 < 0.6$ independent of the cosmological constant and independent of the SNIa data. Including the SNIa data, the constraint becomes $Ω_M h^2 < 0.35$. This result is then applied to supersymmetric models motivated by generic features in supergravity mediated supersymmetry breaking. The result is an upper bound on gaugino masses within reach of the LHC and a 1.5 TeV lepton collider. Thus, cosmological considerations are beginning to limit the supersymmetric mass spectra in the experimentally verifiable range without recourse to finetuning arguments, and without assuming a zero cosmological constant.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Higgs boson interactions in supersymmetric theories with large tan beta

We show that radiative corrections to the Higgs potential in supersymmetric theories with large tan beta generically lead to large differences in the light Higgs boson decay branching fractions compared to those of the standard model Higgs boson. In contrast, the light Higgs boson production rates are largely unaffected. We identify W h associated production followed by Higgs boson decays to photons or to leptons via W W* as potential experimental probes of these theories.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Astrophysical search strategies for accelerator blind dark matter

A weakly interacting dark-matter particle may be difficult to discover at an accelerator because it either (1) is too massive, (2) has no standard-model gauge interactions, or (3) is almost degenerate with other states. In each of these cases, searches for annihilation products in the Galactic halo are useful probes of dark-matter properties. Using the example of supersymmetric dark matter, I discuss how astrophysical searches for dark matter may provide discovery and mass information inaccessible to collider physics programs such as the Tevatron and LHC.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Cornering gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking with quasi-stable sleptons at the Tevatron

There are many theoretical reasons why heavy quasi-stable charged particles might exist. Pair production of such particles at the Tevatron can produce highly ionizing tracks (HITs) or fake muons. In gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking, sparticle production can lead to events with a pair of quasi-stable sleptons, a significant fraction of which will have the same electric charge. Depending on the production mechanism and the decay chain, they may also be accompanied by additional energetic leptons. We study the relative importance of the resulting signals for the Tevatron Run II. The relative fraction of same-sign tracks to other background-free signals is an important diagnostic tool in gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking that may provide information about mass splittings, tan(beta) and the number of messengers communicating supersymmetry breaking.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Massive Doublet Leptons

Massive vector-like electroweak doublets are generic in many extensions of the standard model. Even though one member of the doublet is necessarily electrically charged these particles are not easily detected in collider experiments. The neutral and charged states within the doublet are split by electroweak symmetry breaking. In the absence of mixing with other states, the radiatively generated splitting is in the range 200 - 350 MeV for m > mZ/2. The charged state decays to the neutral one with an O(cm) decay length, predominantly by emission of a soft charged pion. The best possibility to detect these massive charged particles is to trigger on hard initial state radiation and search for two associated soft charged pions with displaced vertices. The mass reach for this process at LEPII is limited by luminosity rather than kinematics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

The importance of tau leptons for supersymmetry searches at the Tevatron

Supersymmetry is perhaps most effectively probed at the Tevatron through production and decay of weak gauginos. Most of the analyses of weak gaugino observables require electrons or muons in the final state. However, it is possible that the gauginos will decay primarily to tau leptons, thus complicating the search for supersymmetry. The motivating reasons for high tau multiplicity final states are discussed in three approaches to supersymmetry model building: minimal supergravity, gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking, and more minimal supersymmetry. The concept of ``e/mu/tau candidate'' is introduced, and an observable with three e/mu/tau candidates is defined in analog to the trilepton observable. The maximum mass reach for supersymmetry is then estimated when gaugino decays to tau leptons have full branching fraction.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Chiral symmetry breaking and effective lagrangians for softly broken supersymmetric QCD

We study supersymmetric QCD with N_f<N_c in the limit of small supersymmetry-breaking masses and smaller quark masses using the weak-coupling Kahler potential. We calculate the full spectrum of this theory, which manifests a chiral symmetry breaking pattern similar to that caused by the strong interactions of the standard model. We derive the chiral effective lagrangian for the pion degrees of freedom, and discuss the behavior in the formal limit of large squark and gluino masses and for large N_c. We show that the resulting scalings of the pion decay constant and pion masses in these limits differ from those expected in ordinary nonsupersymmetric QCD. Although there is no weak coupling expansion with N_f=N_c, we extend our results to this case by constructing a superfield quantum modified constraint in the presence of supersymmetry breaking.

hep-th↗

arXiv1997

Higgs Bosons Strongly Coupled to the Top Quark

Several extensions of the Standard Model require the burden of electroweak symmetry breaking to be shared by multiple states or sectors. This leads to the possibility of the top quark interacting with a scalar more strongly than it does with the Standard Model Higgs boson. In top-quark condensation this possibility is natural. We also discuss how this might be realized in supersymmetric theories. The properties of a strongly coupled Higgs boson in top-quark condensation and supersymmetry are described. We comment on the difficulties of seeing such a state at the Tevatron and LEPII, and study the dramatic signatures it could produce at the LHC. The four top quark signature is especially useful in the search for a strongly coupled Higgs boson. We also calculate the rates of the more conventional Higgs boson signatures at the LHC, including the two photon and four lepton signals, and compare them to expectations in the Standard Model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1997

Trilepton Higgs signal at hadron colliders

Determining the origin of electroweak symmetry breaking will be one of the primary functions of high energy colliders. We point out that most Higgs boson searches pursued at hadron colliders require Yukawa interactions either in the production or the decay of a Higgs boson. We propose a trilepton Higgs boson search based only upon the gauge interactions of the Higgs. This strategy can be utilized successfully for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson as well as non-standard Higgs bosons which break electroweak symmetry but have little to do with fermion mass generation. The trileptons come from Wh production followed by Wh -> WWW^(*) -> 3l decays. A SM Higgs trilepton signal would be difficult to detect at the Tevatron collider: with 100 fb^{-1} of data, only a $3σ$ signal above background can be achieved after cuts if 140 GeV < mh < 175 GeV. Some discrimination of signal over background can be gained by analyzing the opposite sign dilepton pT distributions. At the LHC with 30 (100) fb^{-1} a clear discovery above the $5σ$ level is possible for a Higgs mass in the range 140-185 (125-200) GeV. Prospects for a trilepton Higgs discovery are greatly improved for models with non-standard Higgs sectors where a Higgs boson couples preferentially to vector bosons rather than to fermions.

hep-ph↗