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Joan Sola

Publications and source records attributed to Joan Sola.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
arXiv2004

Higgs Boson Flavor-Changing Neutral Decays into Bottom Quarks in Supersymmetry

We analyze the maximum branching ratios for the Flavor Changing Neutral Current (FCNC) decays of the neutral Higgs bosons of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) into bottom quarks, h -> b\bar{s} (h=h^0,H^0,A^0). We consistently correlate these decays with the radiative B-meson decays (b-> sγ). A full-fledged combined numerical analysis is performed of these high-energy and low-energy FCNC decay modes in the MSSM parameter space. Our calculation shows that the available data on B(b->s γ) severely restricts the allowed values of B(h->b\bar{s}). While the latter could reach a few percent level in fine-tuned scenarios, the requirement of naturalness reduces these FCNC rates into the modest range B(h->b\bar{s}) ~ 10^{-4}-10^{-3}. We find that the bulk of the MSSM contribution to B(h->b\bar{s}) could originate from the strong supersymmetric sector. The maximum value of the FCNC rates obtained in this paper disagree significantly with recent (over-)estimates existing in the literature. Our results are still encouraging because they show that the FCNC modes h->b\bar{s} can be competitive with other Higgs boson signatures and could play a helpful complementary role to identify the supersymmetric Higgs bosons, particularly the lightest CP-even state in the critical LHC mass region m_{h^0} ~= 90-130 GeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2004

Testing the running of the cosmological constant with Type Ia Supernovae at high z

Within the Quantum Field Theory context the idea of a "cosmological constant" (CC) evolving with time looks quite natural as it just reflects the change of the vacuum energy with the typical energy of the universe. In the particular frame of Ref.[30], a "running CC" at low energies may arise from generic quantum effects near the Planck scale, M_P, provided there is a smooth decoupling of all massive particles below M_P. In this work we further develop the cosmological consequences of a "running CC" by addressing the accelerated evolution of the universe within that model. The rate of change of the CC stays slow, without fine-tuning, and is comparable to H^2 M_P^2. It can be described by a single parameter, ν, that can be determined from already planned experiments using SNe Ia at high z. The range of allowed values for νfollow mainly from nucleosynthesis restrictions. Present samples of SNe Ia can not yet distinguish between a "constant" CC or a "running" one. The numerical simulations presented in this work show that SNAP can probe the predicted variation of the CC either ruling out this idea or confirming the evolution hereafter expected.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2004

A Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker cosmological model with running Lambda

The idea of a variable dark energy has been entertained many times in the literature and from many different points of view. Quintessence is just a popular way to implement this idea in recent times, but so far with little success. Another possibility is to think of the cosmological term, Lambda, as a ``running quantity'' much in the same way as the electromagnetic coupling constant. However, the fact that Lambda is a dimension-four parameter implies that it may obey a peculiar renormalization group equation, which at low energies could be dominated by ``soft decoupling'' contributions of the form Lambda ~ H^2 M_P^2 stemming from physics near the Planck scale. This value lies in the ballpark of the measurements from CMB and high-z supernovae. A ``renormalized'' FLRW cosmology of this kind may reveal itself as a sound, and testable, proposal for a variable Lambda model within quantum field theory in curved space time.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2003

Higgs Boson Flavor-Changing Neutral Decays into Top Quark in a General Two-Higgs-Doublet Model

Higgs boson decays mediated by flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) are very much suppressed in the Standard Model, at the level of 10^{-15} for Higgs boson masses of a few hundred GeV. Therefore, any experimental vestige of them would immediately call for new physics. In this paper we consider the FCNC decays of Higgs bosons into a top quark in a general two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM). The isolated top quark signature, unbalanced by any other heavy particle, should help to identify the potential FCNC events much more than any other final state. We compute the maximum branching ratios and the number of FCNC Higgs boson decay events at the LHC collider at CERN. The most favorable mode for production and subsequent FCNC decay is the lightest CP-even state in the Type II 2HDM, followed by the other CP-even state, if it is not very heavy, whereas the CP-odd mode can never be sufficiently enhanced. Our calculation shows that the branching ratios of the CP-even states may reach 10^{-5}, and that several hundred events could be collected in the highest luminosity runs of the LHC. We also point out some strategies to use these FCNC decays as a handle to discriminate between 2HDM and supersymmetric Higgs bosons.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Variable Cosmological Constant as a Planck Scale Effect

We construct a semiclassical FLRW cosmological model assuming a running cosmological constant (CC). It turns out that the CC becomes variable at arbitrarily low energies due to the remnant quantum effects of the heaviest particles, e.g. the Planck scale physics. These effects are universal in the sense that they lead to a low-energy structure common to a large class of high-energy theories. Remarkably, the uncertainty concerning the unknown high-energy dynamics is accumulated into a single parameter ν, such that the model has an essential predictive power. Future Type Ia supernovae experiments (like SNAP) can verify whether this framework is correct. For the flat FLRW case and a moderate value ν~0.01, we predict an increase of 10-20% in the value of Omega_{Lambda} at redshifts z=1-1.5 perfectly reachable by SNAP.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2003

Electroweak radiative corrections to sfermion decays

We analyze the partial decay widths of sfermions decaying into charginos and neutralinos $Γ(\tilde{f} -> f'χ)$ at the one-loop level, including the electroweak and strong corrections. We present the renormalization framework, and discuss the value of the corrections. Since these corrections show non-decoupling effects, we analyze the radiative effects induced by a heavy squark sector into the lepton-slepton-chargino/neutralino couplings. We conclude that some knowledge of the heavy sector is needed in order to provide a sufficiently precise prediction for slepton observables at an $e^+e^-$ Linear Collider.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2003

Cosmological constant, renormalization group and Planck scale physics

Starting from generic quantum effects at the Planck scale M_P, we find that the renormalization group running of the cosmological constant (CC) at low energies is possible if there is a smooth decoupling of all massive particles from M_P to the mass of the lightest neutrino. We discuss the theoretical implications of this running for the ``old'' and ``new'' cosmological constant problems. Interestingly enough, the CC running implies a strong relationship between quantum field theory and cosmology, which should be observable in the near future in experiments such as SNAP through the measurement of a cubic redshift dependence of the CC.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

Fermionic decays of sfermions: a complete discussion at one-loop order

We present a definition of an on-shell renormalization scheme for the sfermion and chargino-neutralino sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Then, apply this renormalization framework to the interaction between charginos/neutralinos and sfermions. A kind of universal corrections is identified, which allow to define effective chargino/neutralino coupling matrices. In turn, these interactions generate (universal) non-decoupling terms that grow as the logarithm of the heavy mass. Therefore the full MSSM spectrum must be taken into account in the computation of radiative corrections to observables involving these interactions. As an application we analyze the full one-loop electroweak radiative corrections to the partial decay widths Γ(\tilde{f} -> f\neut) and Γ(\tilde{f} -> f'\cplus) for all sfermion flavours and generations. These are combined with the QCD corrections to compute the corrected branching ratios of sfermions. It turns out that the electroweak corrections can have an important impact on the partial decay widths, as well as the branching ratios, in wide regions of the parameter space. The precise value of the corrections is strongly dependent on the correlation between the different particle masses.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

A modified Starobinsky's model of inflation: Anomaly-induced inflation, SUSY and graceful exit

We present a model of inflation based on the anomaly-induced effective action of gravity in the presence of a conformally invariant Hilbert-Einstein term. Our approach is based on the conformal representation of the fields action and on the integration of the corresponding conformal anomaly. In contradistinction to the original Starobinsky's model, inflation can be stable at the beginning and unstable at the end. The instability is caused by a slowing down of inflation due to quantum effects associated to the massive fermion fields. In supersymmetric theories this mechanism can be linked to the breaking of SUSY and suggests a natural way to achieve graceful exit from the inflationary to the FLRW phase.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

Supersymmetric effects on heavy charged Higgs boson production in hadron colliders

The production of a heavy supersymmetric charged Higgs boson (M_{H^{\pm}}> 200 GeV) at the Tevatron and at the LHC is studied. We include the leading one-loop quantum effects within the MSSM in the relevant high \tanβregion. Whereas the chances for the Tevatron are limited, and critically depend on the size of the unknown NLO QCD effects, at the LHC the discovery range is more comfortable and may extend the reach above M_{H^{\pm}}= 1 TeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

Full one-loop corrections to sfermion decays

We analyze the partial decay widths of sfermions decaying into charginos and neutralinos Γ(\sfermion -> f'χ) at the one-loop level. We present the renormalization framework, and discuss the value of the corrections for top- and bottom-squark decays.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

Prospects for heavy supersymmetric charged Higgs boson searches at hadron colliders

We investigate the production of a heavy charged Higgs boson at hadron colliders within the context of the MSSM. A detailed study is performed for all important production modes and basic background processes for the t\bar{t}b\bar{b} signature. In our analysis we include effects of initial and final state showering, hadronization, and principal detector effects. For the signal production rate we include the leading SUSY quantum effects at high \tanβ>~ mt/mb. Based on the obtained efficiencies for the signal and background we estimate the discovery and exclusion mass limits of the charged Higgs boson at high values of \tanβ. At the upgraded Tevatron the discovery of a heavy charged Higgs boson (MH^+ >~ 200 GeV) is impossible for the tree-level cross-section values. However, if QCD and SUSY effects happen to reinforce mutually, there are indeed regions of the MSSM parameter space which could provide 3σevidence and, at best, 5σcharged Higgs boson discovery at the Tevatron for masses M_H^+<~ 300 GeV and M_H^+<~ 250 GeV, respectively, even assuming squark and gluino masses in the (500-1000) GeV range. On the other hand, at the LHC one can discover a H^+ as heavy as 1 TeV at the canonical confidence level of 5σ; or else exclude its existence at 95% C.L. up to masses ~ 1.5 TeV. Again the presence of SUSY quantum effects can be very important here as they may shift the LHC limits by a few hundred GeV.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

The scaling evolution of cosmological constant

In quantum field theory the parameters of the vacuum action are subject to renormalization group running. In particular, the ``cosmological constant'' is not a constant in a quantum field theory context, still less should be zero. In this paper we continue with previous work, and derive the particle contributions to the running of the cosmological and gravitational constants in the framework of the Standard Model in curved space-time. At higher energies the calculation is performed in a sharp cut off approximation. We assess, in two different frameworks, whether the scaling dependences of the cosmological and gravitational constants spoil primordial nucleosynthesis. Finally, the cosmological implications of the running of the cosmological constant are discussed.

hep-th↗
arXiv2002

Massive fields temper anomaly-induced inflation: the clue to graceful exit?

A method of calculating the vacuum effective action for massive quantum fields in curved space-time is outlined. Our approach is based on the conformal representation of the fields action and on the integration of the corresponding conformal anomaly. As a relevant cosmological application, we find that if taking the masses of the fields into account, then the anomaly-induced inflation automatically slows down. The only relevant massive fields for this purpose turn out to be the fermion fields. So in supersymmetric theories this mechanism can be specially efficient, for it may naturally provide the graceful exit from the inflationary to the FLRW phase. Taking the SUSY breaking into account, the anomaly-induced inflation could be free of the well-known difficulties with the initial data and also with the amplitude of the gravitational waves.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Prospects for supersymmetric charged Higgs boson discovery at the Tevatron and the LHC

We investigate the prospects for heavy charged Higgs boson production through the mechanisms pp-bar(pp)->tbH+ +X at the upgraded Fermilab Tevatron and at the upcoming LHC collider at CERN respectively. We focus on the MSSM case at high values of tan[beta]> m_top/m_bot and include the leading SUSY quantum corrections. A detailed study is performed for all important production modes and basic background processes for the "ttbb" signature. At the upgraded Tevatron a charged Higgs signal is potentially viable in the 220-250 GeV range or excluded at 95%CL up to 300 GeV. At the LHC, a H+ of mass up to 800 GeV can be discovered at 5 sigma or else be excluded up to a mass of ~ 1.5 TeV. The presence ofSUSY quantum effects may highly influence the discovery potential in both machines and can typically shift these limits by 200 GeV at the LHC.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Loop Induced Flavor Changing Neutral Decays of the Top Quark in a General Two-Higgs-Doublet Model

Decays of the top quark induced by flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) are known to be extremely rare events within the Standard Model. This is so not only for the decay modes into gauge bosons, but most notably in the case of the Higgs channels, e.g. t-> H_{SM}+c, with a branching fraction of 10^{-13} at most. Therefore, detection of FCNC top quark decays in a future high-energy, and high-luminosity, machine like the LHC or the LC would be an indisputable signal of new physics. In this paper we show that within the simplest extension of the SM, namely the general two-Higgs-doublet model, the FCNC top quark decays into Higgs bosons, t->(h^{0},H^{0},A^{0})+c, can be the most favored FCNC modes -- comparable or even more efficient than the gluon channel t-> g+c. In both cases the optimal results are obtained for Type II models. However, only the Higgs channels can have rates reaching the detectable level (10^{-5}), with a maximum of order 10^{-4} which is compatible with the charged Higgs bounds from radiative B-meson decays. We compare with the previous results obtained in the Higgs sector of the MSSM.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

FCNC top quark decays beyond the Standard Model

Flavor Changing Neutral Current decays of the top quark within the strict context of the Standard Model are known to be extremely rare. In fact, they are hopelessly undetectable at the Tevatron, LHC and LC in any of their scheduled upgradings. Therefore, if a few of these events eventually show up in the future we will have certainly discovered new physics. We argue that this could well be the case for the LHC and the LC both within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) and in a general two-Higgs-doublet model (2HDM), especially if we look for FCNC top quark decays into Higgs bosons.

hep-ph↗